Find out how smart planning from square one, correct installation, as well as regular maintenance and inspections all can add up to a safe play environment.

Looking for ways to get more people into the pool? We offer some handy tips for revitalizing your facility and programming without going off the deep end.

Whether it be a festival or 5K (or both), several key strategies and the right team can help make your special event a success.

With its second annual jazz festival fast approaching, the bustling town of Silver Spring, located in Montgomery County, Md., could've been stuck singing the blues because its 35,000-square-foot outdoor concert space was not yet a viable venue.

Getting back to nature, even in the heart of a busy metropolis, never has been so easy, especially since the Bronx Zoo—which sits on 265 acres surrounded by New York City—opened its new Butterfly Garden last May.

On any given day the new $2 million Whitetail Park in Lafayette, Colo., is a lively scene for multiple generations and interests. Given the challenge of creating a place that was all things to all people, the park was designed as a hybrid that meets the various needs of the community.

The need to fill staff positions has become a common ongoing chore for many fitness facilities. Prudent managers who maintain a reasonable concern for liability risks realize the importance of finding and hiring only qualified staff.

Look around any fitness facility. Exercisers with special needs are everywhere. We'll focus on equipment needs for four groups: older adults (age 55 and up), pregnant women, people with disabilities, and children and teenagers.

Power outage. These two words can damage the recreation and sports industry on a number of levels.

Our annual guide to everything you need to know about pools, waterparks and natatoriums. If it's about a wet facility, it's in here, from aquatic exercise to water slides.

We shift through some of the big issues regarding skate park safety. Find out how various facilities manage their liability—and keep a facility fun.

The quality of your dirt, grass and turf may be underappreciated, but they should never be overlooked. Make sure you're following some of the best field design and maintenance practices.

Berens Park in Elmhurst, Ill., has been a fixture for sports practices for more than 30 years. But since it was created, houses have encircled it on all sides, so other amenities—gymnastics programs, playgrounds, community meeting spaces—were placed elsewhere, leaving Berens Park as a well-loved facility but one not quite living up to its full potential.

It's hard to say which is more impressive: The Lewisburg Area Recreation Authority's new park or its moxie.

Shoreview, Minn., is a fitness-minded community, and it's also quite organized. These two traits have blended to give the city a wildly successful and well-used gathering place that just keeps getting better.

Numerous summer camps still operate a more traditional ropes challenge course as part of camp adventure activities, but in emerging markets, for adventure-seekers of all ages, the summer camps ropes course has certainly grown up.

Everyone struggles with it. What should be saved? Where to store it? Every recreational facility needs to order and maintain supplies, archive documents, and store parts and equipment.

One of the most exciting trends in parks and recreation is the popularity of new classes of independent climbers.

In the fitness arena, performance training seems to be booming, with even community fitness centers starting to offer more goal- and performance-oriented fitness opportunities. Learn about the latest developments.

The variety of scoreboards on the market can be mind-boggling: There's certainly an option for every application, from a hi-tech and entertaining goliath for a super stadium to a straightforward and efficient display for a local little league. We'll help you figure out what's best for your facility.

With Mother Nature playing a large role, beaches and boatyards tend to be in a secluded class of recreation facilities. Find out how to make yours shine, from crowd-pleasing amenities to profitable programming—all, of course, with a vigilant eye on safety.

In the Motor City, funding from a municipal bond and a community grant from the National Football League helped Renaissance High School acquire a synthetic turf field just like the pros.

The architectural combination of metal, glass and wood produces rave reviews at the new Esquimalt Recreation Centre indoor pool, but for the HVAC consulting engineer, Jimmy Ng, these condensation-generating materials presented a dehumidification and air-flow challenge.

Athletes and facilities that offer disability sports programming will now have a much easier time getting hooked up, thanks to a new hub.

Few businesses feel the effects of escalating bills for electricity, heat and water more than recreation, sports and fitness facilities that often operate 18 or more hours a day. Whether you are building a new facility or updating an existing one, you will realize restrooms and locker rooms afford ideal opportunities for containing utility costs—especially if you incorporate elements found in green buildings.

The FBI reports that employee theft losses exceed an estimated $4.9 billion annually, averaging $700 per offense. Experts estimate that 30 percent of employees steal, and 60 percent will steal if given sufficient motive. Just as there are different degrees of theft, there are also different kinds.

It seems as though that you can't pick up a newspaper, watch the evening news or find an article on the Internet about some sort of rage-related incident that had recently occurred—whether it be in an ice rink; football, baseball or soccer field; basketball or tennis courts; highway or even in a school or private home.

Whether you are planning a park from scratch or just sprucing up your grounds, there are plenty of key considerations when it comes to site components. From value to vandal-resistance, learn from our handy guide.

Improving safety is a constant battle for aquatic facilities. Dangers lurk from drowning, electrocution, entrapment, RWIs and other risks. We offer some strategies for keeping up your vigilance.

Instead of having to meet at a local restaurant to socialize, senior citizens in Cicero, Ill., now have a state-of-the-art senior center to congregate. Though it took some hard work: The 50-year-old building that is home to the 4,640-square-foot center was formerly a hardware store.

If you were to take a poll among parents at any youth sports game across the country to determine how many of them thought their children's coach had undergone a background check, the majority of parents would probably assume that they did. In reality, there's a good chance they would be wrong.

Today's consumers are looking for healthier, higher quality options when making their food choices. The desire for fresh, low-fat foods has driven the fresh sandwich category for the last several years, and this trend does not appear to be slowing.

Pools can be a huge money pit unless the proper system and expert maintenance team is in place. One approach that ensures professional monitoring and maintenance while adhering to a budget is Total Water Management (TWM).

The Madison Area YMCA in Madison, N.J., hosts Teen Scene every Friday evening for more than 100 sixth, seventh and eighth graders. A key component of the four-hour evening is sports. Planners created a new game, YMCA Gladiator, to provide a high-energy activity that takes not only athleticism but detailed strategy to win. The successful result lies somewhere among pulled ribbons, flying dodgeballs and an ever-changing maze that has kids lining up to play.

With so many different functions, there are a myriad of details to attend to and many mistakes that easily can be made when it comes to locker room and restroom design. No one sets out to do a poor job with their locker rooms and restrooms, and admittedly, some problems are bigger than others, but whether it's ambience, safety, sanitation or convenience you're wrestling with, we've got some expert insights for you.

By allowing for year-round programming, enclosing your pool has the potential to boost patronage and profits. Enclosures also cut maintenance costs by shutting out debris and decelerating evaporation and chemical dissipation. But though the reasons for going under cover are no mystery, figuring out which type of enclosure to buy takes some sleuthing. We'll help with the detective work.

Our competition winners have been selected! With the hopes of celebrating the best and most captivating projects the recreation industry has to offer, our 2006 innovative facility picks will be revealed in special detailed profiles. We are proud to showcase these facilities—new or recently renovated, from community centers and universities to health clubs and aquatic complexes, and everything in between—that are helping to set standards of excellence in the recreation community.

Winners

Highlights

This year, National Water Safety Week is June 5 to 10. The event, sponsored by the World Waterpark Association (WWA), is designed to build public awareness of vital water-safety practices.

Parks, athletic facilities, community centers and other public spaces help to define a community's culture and represent its history and citizens. Yet local governments frequently struggle to win public support—and taxpayer dollars—to fund the repair and renewal of these properties.

Today most public and private indoor recreation facilities use the word "multi-sport" somewhere in their description. To get the most out of a facility they offer a number of different activities that appeal to a wide variety of people. Is it possible to bring that same strategy outdoors to the tennis court?

A little research and a lot of thoughtful planning go a long way to making a sports surface—be it indoors or outdoors, specific or multipurpose—a real asset to your community.

As we explore the latest in playground philosophy, equipment and design, be ahead of the curve on certain trends that are just emerging or reemerging, such as site-specific design, interaction with nature, accessibility and the promotion of dramatic play so kids' imaginations, not just their bodies, can run wild.

From archery to disc golf to orienteering, rec facilities across the country are bringing those camp experiences home to stay as part of their mission to broaden offerings and make sure that there's something for everyone to get active and get outdoors.

Keeping the ice busy is what keeps a venue in the black. Find out how some programming concepts—like reaching out to older skaters with lessons or leagues, for example—can help fill your rink's schedule.

Like so many communities, Sapulpa, Okla., had made one investment in an aquatic facility decades ago, and it was for an indoor swimming pool. And, as is the case in many other communities, that pool's effectiveness had decreased dramatically as the years passed.

Hudson River Park is the largest open space project in Manhattan since Central Park was completed in the 1800s. Take a closer look at one of the park's major segments, Clinton Cove Park.

A Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course nestled in the scenic mountains near Lake Tahoe, Calif., might be near heaven-on-earth for some. However, for the Old Greenwood golf facility and resort community, recently green-building certified, some would say the real beauty is in the economically and eco-friendly design.

A New York state park experienced a management nightmare in 2005 when a Cryptosporidium outbreak at a splash play area was linked to more than 3,000 illnesses that spread to 36 New York counties, 26 states and two countries. This incident is a reminder that all recreational facilities are vulnerable and must focus on both promoting pleasure and preventing pain.

Few people likely know exactly how long it takes to lay out 16 hamburger buns and put cheese on 12 of them, but Mountain Creek's Black Belt Joe Hession does. That's because Hession is leading the resort toward Operational Excellence through a program called Lean Six Sigma, and he's just one of 24 Black Belts who have been trained in this methodology and implemented pilot programs across Intrawest's North American resorts.

Electronic controllers are becoming more and more prevalent in the pool and spa marketplace. The ability of controllers to continuously monitor and maintain water conditions makes them very popular with health departments, facility managers and municipal organizations. Chemical controllers simplify water maintenance by taking over much of the work involved.

We combed through and decipher all the research, reports, association and academic news, and expert opinions to present an educated glimpse of leading trends in the managed sports, fitness and recreation market for the coming year. Included is specific attention to new construction and renovation projections, news, programming innovations, and participation evolution, all designed to be a benchmark for the industry—and an indispensable planning tool for recreation professionals.

Is your aquatic center failing to make a splash? We give you tips on how to make your facility fresh and engaging, without breaking the bank.

Don't be afraid to try something a little different, be it healthy or just delicious, to spark some new interest in your concession stand. If you really get things going, you might be able to use your food as a draw to your facility.

When the Kronkosky Charitable Foundation began analyzing early-childhood development, it realized that the most popular family destination in San Antonio was the zoo. So the foundation approached the zoo about creating a place for infants to 5-year-old children.

Peters Township in Venetia, Pa., took a cue from one of nature's graceful fliers when designing its new recreation center.

The added responsibility for recreational sports directors on a college or university campus is to further the goals of higher education, and in particular, those of their host institution. It works the other way, too: The most successful higher education administrators make a point of reaching out to campus professionals engaged in all aspects of student learning environments, including recreational sports directors and other student-affairs-related personnel.

Designing a new spa or expanding an existing one can be an exciting and challenging journey. With strategic planning and judicious equipment choices, you will create a haven that your clients will associate with their healing and rejuvenation, that your staff will applaud for its attention to their health and well-being, and that you will recognize as the profitable venture you envisioned all along the way.

The growth of the fitness industry has not come without some problems and its share of ups and downs. Some of those problems have been related to public and media perceptions as to the qualifications of some of those employed in the industry; others have dealt with so-called "certification mills" for fitness professionals, which in many instances have churned out unqualified fitness instructors and personal trainers to interact with consumers; still others have dealt with claims and litigation against exercise professionals and fitness facility operations related to negligence allegations in personal injury and wrongful-death cases.

When it comes to outdoor structures, the number of options continues to grow and become more specialized. There's decorative (pergolas), decorative/functional (gazebos) and strictly functional (prefab buildings), as well as combinations of all these elements. We look at the options to help you choose the structures that are best for you.

How to do you accessorize a sports facility so it can best serve as both competition and practice venues for a variety of sports? Facility managers and other experts share their advice on how to go about buying equipment, collaborating with designers and architects, as well as cutting costs without compromising quality.

Oh, let the light shine in. Facilities are finding more ways to make their lighting eye-catching, practical and environmentally sensitive. Most of all, lighting systems are becoming an affordable investment.

If you're a fan of arcades and a fan of waterparks, then Flick Park Pool is the place for you, where these two very different forms of recreation merge, among other watery amusements.

After a lackluster first year in business, the existing course and speed did not portend any sales improvement for Club Nutrition & Fitness in Springfield, Mo., for the upcoming 2005-2006 season. A change in strategy was badly needed—and some fresh ideas from an outsider.

As the tune goes, it's usually a paradise that's paved to make way for a parking lot. Fortunately, in the case of Pier 40 in Manhattan, the process has been reversed.

The purpose of NSF/ANSI Standard 50 (NSF 50) is to establish minimum requirements for materials, design, construction and performance of equipment commonly included in the water circulation systems of residential and public swimming pools, spas or hot tubs.

While thousands of skateparks have been installed in communities throughout the United States, almost all of these skateparks are of either modular or concrete design. But today, many communities are discovering another way that combines the benefits of both forms—the hybrid skatepark. It's been a popular choice at private commercial skateparks for many years, but it's now a growing trend that might make sense for your riders and your community.

Providing children with quality play environments is more important than ever. The outdoor social and physical environment that a child has access to is very strongly associated with how active children and their families are.

Even after decades of use and the introduction of alternative disinfectants, chlorine remains a king germ-slayer for commercial pool water due to its effectiveness, safety, low cost and convenience.

Packed with plenty of practical tips and ideas, this handy question-and-answer guide to the common problems that plague recreation facilities can help you overcome your most troubling challenges. We provide advice on everything from aquatic centers to site furnishings, from playgrounds to food service—and everything in between.

Pulling your open spaces together can take a lot of planning and work. When it comes to making outdoor spaces more comfortable and inviting, there's an abundance of options. We offer expert guidance to help you design an inviting landscape.

It's past time for Americans to launch a war on obesity, and recreation managers are in the front line of this effort. We looked around the country to find inspiring success stories. Check out these innovations to bring some inspiration to your own programs.

From job applicants to functional facilities, we look for multitaskers to help us achieve great things. What does it take to create a recreational space that can be all things to all people? Do your homework, and you too can come up with a magnificent multipurpose space.

What does a high-school marching band have in common with senior citizens and summer campers? All benefit from this new sports center, which offers more than 30,000 square feet of multisport space.

In the midst of winter, most college students long to escape for spring break fun at the beach. At the University of Texas at Austin, students would rather stay put and take advantage of the school's resort-like aquatic facilities.

Surfing in New York and Ohio? Two northern theme parks have added indoor water recreation facilities with a rustic look to create year-round attractions.

Unruly parents, pressure-filled, win-at-all-costs ballgames—these issues can take all the fun out of youth sports. Greater accountability, training and educational programs can help remedy the problem.

Aquatic technicians must wage a constant battle against algae, and phosphate levels are the key to control. Here's some insight on how phosphates affect pool water—and how you can deal with them.

For years, many have believed that waivers aren't worth the paper they're written on. We offer clarification on what waivers can and cannot do, providing the information needed to make the best use of this tool.

The most recent report card from the National Program for Playground Safety gave America's playgrounds a C+, and surfacing gets an even lower grade. What is needed to bring up the grade and create safe playgrounds?