Aquatic facilities often operate at a loss and many times are subsidized by other money-making projects in a community. We examine some strategies for making a profit in aquatics.

Dog parks continue to grow in popularity across the United States, and many communities are looking to get in on the action. We help with some advice from those who've been there and done that.

When you want to expand your options beyond the summer swim season or the three-season sports, think about enclosing your facility. Four walls—even temporary ones—offer a way to keep the fun going all year.

When leaders at the Corpus Christi Department of Parks and Recreation became concerned over high rates of diabetes in their community, they turned to a proven program to help get kids active and eating healthy.

Facility operators know that in addition to installing aquatic recreational elements they must improve efficiency. So how can you increase efficiency, handle the increased bather loads, and comply with stricter environmental laws, all at a time of budget and staff cuts? Technology.

What should communities do when the economy is sucking every last dollar? Organize to support parks!

While most people understand that sealed engineers drawings are necessary for big projects like bridges, skateparks and other smaller projects often slip through the cracks. We examine the importance of working with an engineer on such projects.

Skateboarding is as popular as ever, but skateparks are an evolving breed of recreation and sports facility. This month we look at current trend, including the greening up of skateparks and the importance of programming.

No matter what type of turf you deploy, your sports fields need careful consideration to ensure they remain in playing shape. We offer advice from those in the know to help you stay on top of your game.

When it comes to programming, there's no single answer, and no single program will support an entire community. However, many facilities are looking to unite the generations, with programming to accommodate a combination of active older adults and younger folk, too.

When a member went under in one of this YMCA's pools, a savvy lifeguard was able to come to the rescue—with the aid of a device that allowed him to skip phoning for help.

When you design your restrooms well, they can encourage smart hand-washing behaviors.

Have you ever entered a facility where everything seems to speak the same language? There are design pros who can help make that happen.

This month, an expert in sport and recreation law asks an important question: What is the point of risk management, anyway?

Before it is opened for fun and play, a playground must go through a careful planning process—one that ensures accessibility and safety for the children.

With obesity and its accompanying health problems continuing to challenge the American public, recreation, sports and fitness facilities are looking for ways to team up with others in their communities to help address the situation.

It's one thing to be on Facebook and Twitter. It's something else entirely to be using social media well. If you're ready to get on board, read on and we'll show you how a few state park organizations are getting it right.

With its wide range of recreation, sports and fitness opportunities, the Salvation Army Kroc Center in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho offers an example that planners can turn to as they design community centers for the future.

When Tacoma, Wash., needed a solution for its aging pools, it turned to splash play as an ideal way to offer a little fun in the water, without the maintenance headaches.

The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Ill., offers visitors a chance to interact with nature and view tree species from all over the world. And now it offers something else: a new surface made from recycled beer bottles.

Spring is in the air, and that means baseball season. To ensure your fields are ready for the increased traffic, you need to pay close attention to your field maintenance practices.

In the gym it's easy to share germs. Ensure your facility is as clean as possible by implementing a careful cleaning strategy.

It seems as though many facility managers can't stop feeling envious of pools with slides and other bells and whistles. But there are ways to make your rectangle work for you that don't involve expensive upgrades.

As budgets shrink, you may be looking to save money in your aquatic operations. Updated, greener technology might be just the solution you're looking for.

When you're looking for a simple solution to bring water play to a community, a splash play area can make a big impact. Learn more from some facilities that have found spaygrounds to be the perfect solution.

When you want to lighten your impact on the earth, you can incorporate sustainable features into your facility. While LEED certification is a standard, it's not the only way to go green.

Climbing walls can bring a lot of excitement to a facility. We look at some of the basics to help you add climbing to your own space.

Parks can easily become places of natural respite for a community longing to reconnect with the earth. A little reworking of the site is all that's needed.

Salt-water chlorine generators are growing in popularity, but if you're not careful, you might find mystery stains in your pool. Here, an expert explains why, and how to fix the problem.

When it comes to outfitting your locker room, you need to get with the program. Modern-day facilities focus more on refined looks and patron comfort.

We've selected the winners of our eighth annual design awards competition. We're proud to showcase those facilities here, from college and community recreation centers to pools, arenas and more. Read on to see how these cutting-edge projects raise the bar for recreation, sports and fitness facility design across America.

Winners

Student Recreation Center, Texas State University - San Marcos
Student Recreation Center, Montclair State University
Beimdiek Recreation Center, Missouri Southern State University
The Salvation Army Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center
The Stephen L. Green StreetSquash Community Center
Wildcat Recreation Center, California State University, Chico
Laguna Beach Community & Susi-Q Senior Center
Woolwich Memorial Centre

Editor's Choice Winner

Blue Water YMCA

Highlights
We are also pleased to showcase the following facilities that were submitted and sponsored by the firm that entered them:

Wytheville Recreation Center
Richard Jefferson Gymnasium, University Of Arizona
Bishop James A. Griffin Student Center, Ohio Dominican University
Spoelhof Fieldhouse Complex, Calvin College
Cypress Cove Family Aquatic Park
Vic Johnston Arena
Student Recreation Center, California State University, Bakersfield
Texas Tech Student Leisure Pool
Blue Ash Recreation Center

If you really want to make a good impression, make sure your message is reflected in every aspect of your facility.

New standards are ensuring higher levels of safety for players on synthetic court surfaces. Learn more about what this means for your facility.

Operators and managers of aquatic facilities need a lot of knowledge to ensure their facilities are running at peak performance. Lately, a trend toward e-learning has been enabling them to gain that knowledge from their desktops.

More than 2,200 professionals responded quickly to our call for more information about their facility operations. Here, we sum up their responses, including their experience with operations, staffing, programming, construction and much more.

Breaking things down by region, this section takes a look at trends in facilities across the country. Learn where facility directors are anticipating growing usage and revenues, and where the recession is having a stronger impact.

In this section focused on aquatic facilities, we consider how aquatic facilities of all types—from natatoriums to waterparks and splash play areas—are doing in 2010. This year, safety and programming are a top concern.

Feeling the impact of deep budget cuts, parks and recreation departments are still performing strongly according to survey respondents. Find out how they are adjusting their programs and facilities.

Colleges and universities across the country offer sports and recreational fun as a way to get students interested in attending and to keep them healthy once they're there. Here we look at the major trends in campus recreation.

Schools and school districts are reeling in the wake of the recession and its impact on home prices, and thus, their funding. Learn how these facilities are faring in 2010.

Health clubs offer a place to work out and more—they are often at the forefront of creative programming and have plenty of marketing savvy to draw in new members and keep them coming back for more. Here we look at the major trends in health clubs.

YMCAs, YWCAs, JCCs and Boys & Girls Clubs often serve a crucial mission—providing programming that can't be found elsewhere by many of their members. While they are not immune from the effects of the recession, they are still reaching out to their communities.

New to our coverage this year, this section takes a look at trends in community sports and recreation centers.

In this annual survey, we ask recreation, sports and fitness professionals to talk about some of the major aspects of their careers.

At the other end of the spectrum, sports facilities in local communities are finding new ways to offer more for their patrons.

Big stadiums for professional and college teams are adding new features that look back and forward. Many designers access the history of a place, and then mix in technology and other amenities to update the experience for game-goers.

If your aquatic facility is losing dollars, you might take a look at your program lineup. Get this critical piece of the puzzle right, and you can boost your bottom line.

Once upon a time, a scoreboard was just a big rectangle with some numbers on it to let spectators know how things stood. These days, with technological advances and creative innovations, they can do so much more than tell the score.

Since the 1970s, the owners of the Dedham Health & Athletic Complex have been growing and innovating. Learn more about how they've stayed on top of their game.

Careful consideration of community needs is leading to a growing aquatic facility. While kids can splash about now in the spraypark, in years to come, there will be so much more aquatic fun.

While your patrons actually have to show up to the health club if they want to get a workout, there are plenty of tools online to help motivate them and inspire you.

While there has been much unscientific discussion over the safety of tire crumb, the EPA's final word is that it poses no risk. And, the benefits abound.

If you want to get scheduling done right, you'd be wise to check out the latest software offerings and all the ways they can help you manage better.

You know how important it is to protect your patrons from harm, but you also need to protect your facility from potential lawsuits and other risks. Learn more about this critical job.

Welcome to our annual Problem-Solver Idea Book. Packed with scores of ideas, this reference tool was designed to help you tackle your most persistent and universal challenges, covering all the big basic questions. Consider it an industry guidebook of sorts, chock full of straightforward problem-solving tips.

A well-written member contract can protect you in the event of an injury-based or other lawsuit. Learn more about getting it done right.

While waterparks tend to attract plenty of teens and kids, they also offer plenty of adult-friendly amenities. Here are some tips to help ensure your waterpark is making everyone happy.

When you really want to please your park patrons, it's important to provide every amenity. Restroom structures might not be first on your list, but their absence will be one of the first things people notice.

With childhood obesity still a major challenge, many after-school programs are tackling the problem head-on, with education and activities to help kids eat healthy and get active.

When the time came to improve a 60-year-old swimming pool, the team dedicated to the project came up with an economical solution that could also inject a bit of fun.

When a private developer wanted to give back to his home town, he tapped his long-term involvement with youth sports to build a multi-million-dollar indoor recreation complex.

Unpaid internships may sound like a good deal for your organization, but they could represent a legal landmine. Learn the facts and make sure you handle internships properly.

Immersion in nature is an important piece of childhood development. Finding ways to deliberately design nature back into children's lives will encourage imagination, discourage obesity, and helps develop the environmental stewards of tomorrow.

Concessions offer a way to reap a profit at your facility. This month we consider some of the ways you can maximize your results by providing fun food for everyone.

Beyond providing just the necessary UV protection, shade structures can provide so much more. When well planned, selected and installed, they can attract more people to our venues, extend the recreational hours of the day and night, add revenue and even put a little romance in our lives.

This features looks at several examples of how North American communities are implementing new ways to run special events that draw patrons and turn a profit. When special events are done right, they boost both the local economy and the community's reputation.

Millions of Americans struggle with the social and emotional challenges associated with "invisible" disabilities like ADHD, bipolar disorders, autism spectrum disorders and sensory integration disorders. Thankfully, a growing number of organizations are making recreation programming more accessible to these citizens.

When they wanted to protect kids on the playground, leaders at Portsmouth Public Schools turned to an innovative safety surface solution.

The facility once used as a practice center for the championship Chicago Bulls basketball team is now the Deerfield Park District's Sachs Recreation Center, offering a score of new amenities and programming for residents.

When salt generators are working properly, they are continuously producing free available chlorine to proper set levels. But what should you do when they are not working properly?

According to researchers at the Stanford School of Medicine, free play is essential to proper cognitive, physical, social and emotional development.

As sprayparks grow in popularity, a new focus is emerging on better design from concept through operation, maintenance and paying the water bill. Of particular concern are water conservation and safety, with an emphasis on better water treatment system design.

With budgets continuing their crunch, many communities have put their plans for new recreation centers on hold. But that doesn't mean you need to accept the status quo. Many of today's older recreation centers can be successfully renovated or expanded.

While play structures largely include the same elements decade in and decade out, there are trends that come and go. This month we take a look inside the industry to find out what's new in play.

A well-cared-for site can make all the difference in how your park or facility is perceived. This month we look at ways to impress visitors with beautiful sites.

The problem of obesity has not gone away, but with tight budgets and limited space, finding new ways to offer fitness programs and equipment to your community can be a challenge. We offer some solutions to help you boost

It's no secret that many communities are hopping on the splash play bandwagon. Smart planning can ensure your sprayground offers maximum play value.

Proper attention to design is critical to ensure the air in your spa area is healthy for all.