Accessibility on the playground is a requirement, but sometimes it's not enough. Going above and beyond to encourage true inclusiveness in your play spaces can have a big impact on your community.

The deadline for ADA compliance for existing pools is Jan. 31, 2013, but there is a lot more you can do to encourage use by patrons with disabilities.

Learning how to successfully include those with hidden disabilities—social, emotional and cognitive challenges—into your programs can have a life-changing effect for those you serve.

Catoctin Mountain Park has always tried to go above and beyond to ensure accessibility to its beautiful views and campsites. A new trail at the park features an accessible surface that gets patrons with disabilities off the asphalt.

An addition of inflatable products has given Graydon Pool a new way to attract and retain water enthusiasts—with fun water competition.

What are some common problems in current officiating, and how can they be addressed?

Once you've upgraded your pool to ensure ADA accessibility, you need to be sure you maintain your equipment properly. Here are some tips on keeping your pool lift in working order.

For many facilities, synthetic and natural turf fields are not an either-or conundrum, but a both-and solution. Each type of field serves its purpose. Learn more about how to manage your multiple-choice fields.

Whether you offer a little something for all audiences, or you choose to go niche, there are decisions to be made about fitness facility design. Here, we discuss some of the recent trends.

From 4th of July Celebrations to Tree-Lighting Ceremonies, Concerts in the Park and beyond, special events can bring a community together—and may even offer a chance for your organization to boost

An artistic elements sets this new skatepark apart from the pack.

Revitalizing a neglected area in Chattanooga, this new park will offer a chance for citizens to get in a little exercise and fun.

When you make smart choices in materials for your lockers and restroom amenities, you can not only ensure your facility is more environmentally friendly, but you also boost the durability and usability fo your facilities.

From finding ways to attract novice climbers to route-setting to please those who've been up and down the wall a few times, there are plenty of ways to adapt climbing to suit your facility.

Pickleball? Quidditch? Cricket? While we're all familiar with baseball, soccer, football, basketball and tennis—and the facilities that support them—there are ways to adapt and bring new sports—and new patrons—onto the court or field.

Getting your risk management plans in order means careful organizing, as well as ensuring your entire staff is on board.

Many parks, YMCAs and other recreation organizations plan day trips for everyone from children with a day off from school to seniors looking for a bit of fun. Here are some ideas from agencies that have gotten it right.

A new community center offers an entry view to a park, as well as plenty of amenities to please the community.

A gift from a sports icon brought a new, well-loved playground and site improvements to a formerly drab school play yard.

Designing for safety is a critical measure when planning major stadiums. Here, an expert in stadium design looks at some of the issues to keep top of mind.

If you've got to maintain—and maybe even improve—your sports fields, there are some smart steps to take to ease the process.

It's hard to believe that splash play areas are a relatively recent development in parks and recreational facilities. Their popularity continues to grow, ensuring new innovations are constantly arriving on the scene.

Whether you're planning a low-key off-leash area or something fancier, you know that dog parks are well loved by pooches and their human patrons alike.

Many communities are discovering the incredible potential of their waterfront property. Long neglected and forgotten sites have been revamped into community-building gathering places.

From dance classes and music lessons to community theater troupes, parks departments, YMCAs and other recreational facilities can offer a lot to their neighborhoods in the form of performing arts programming.

You've made the decisions to go with synthetic turf for your new sports fields, but do you know what you should look for in a synthetic turf partner?

Ensuring your locker rooms and clean and comfortable can go a long way toward pleasing patrons. Learn more about some modern locker room trends.

Our eleventh annual Innovative Architecture & Design Awards competition turned up some of the best of the best. We're pleased to showcase the winning facilities here, as well as highlights from the award entries.

Winners

Iowa State University State Gym
University of Central Missouri Student Recreation and Wellness Center
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Recreation Center
Missouri State University Bill R. Foster and Family Recreation Center
Cecil College Physical Education Complex
Georgia College Wellness and Recreation Center
NRH Centre
Sidwell Friends School, Athletic Center

Editor's Choice Winner

Milwaukee Community Sailing Center

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

Vande Poel-Heeringa Stadium Courts at the Etheridge Tennis Complex, Hope College
Choice Health & Fitness Center
Oscoda Observation Pier
Columbus State University Student Recreation Center

If you want to ensure your restrooms aren't a turnoff for your patrons, you need to develop a new method of keeping things spic and span.

In the ongoing fight against America's growing waistline, it's important to remember the vast degree of variation from one ideal body to the next. There are a lot of ways to be picture perfect.

Ensuring your locker rooms and clean and comfortable can go a long way toward pleasing patrons. Learn more about some modern locker room trends.

Our eleventh annual Innovative Architecture & Design Awards competition turned up some of the best of the best. We're pleased to showcase the winning facilities here, as well as highlights from the award entries.

Winners

Iowa State University State Gym
University of Central Missouri Student Recreation and Wellness Center
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Recreation Center
Missouri State University Bill R. Foster and Family Recreation Center
Cecil College Physical Education Complex
Georgia College Wellness and Recreation Center
NRH Centre
Sidwell Friends School, Athletic Center

Editor's Choice Winner

Milwaukee Community Sailing Center

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

Vande Poel-Heeringa Stadium Courts at the Etheridge Tennis Complex, Hope College
Choice Health & Fitness Center
Oscoda Observation Pier
Columbus State University Student Recreation Center

If you want to ensure your restrooms aren't a turnoff for your patrons, you need to develop a new method of keeping things spic and span.

In the ongoing fight against America's growing waistline, it's important to remember the vast degree of variation from one ideal body to the next. There are a lot of ways to be picture perfect.

More than 2,100 professionals responded to our call for information about their facility operations. Here, we summarize their responses, including current trends in operations, staffing, programming, construction and much more.

This section breaks survey results down according to region, taking a look at trends in facilities across the country. Learn how facilities in different regions differ.

From competition-style pools to elaborate aquatic parks and everything in between, aquatic facilities stand apart from other types of recreation facilities. This section looks at the trends in facilities that include pools, splash play, waterparks and spas.

Parks and recreation organizations weigh in with their current plans for construction and programming, the state of the budget and more. Find out the trends affecting parks and recreation,

Colleges and universities continue to focus on wellness facilities and programming, working to attract and retain students. This section looks at the latest trends in campus recreation.

Schools and school districts continue to struggle in the wake of the economic downturn. Find out the trends affecting these facilities, and the outlook for the next couple of years.

This section summarizes the survey results from health, fitness and sports clubs, including new trends in programming and a positive outlook on budgets and memberships.

Nonprofit facilities such as YMCAs, JCCs and Boys & Girls Clubs continue to offer a wide range of amenities and programming. Learn which trends are taking hold at these facilities.

After taking a hit in the aftermath of the recession, salaries are finally bouncing back to their former levels. Find out how high and more in our annual look at recreation, sports and fitness careers.

As facility construction begins to pick up, many aquatic directors are looking at new trends and new ways to increase interest in the pool. Find out some of the latest aquatic design trends.

With ongoing concern about chronic overweight and obesity and the health issues it leads to, multipurpose facilities have adopted a more focused approach to wellness, as well as building community.

A simple solution provides something for everyone on campus.

Getting fit doesn't need to cost an arm and a leg—especially when smart cities adapt their parks and playgrounds with exercise equipment that can boost motivation and enable a quick—and free—workout.

To ensure your lifeguards can see swimmers, it is crucial to maintain water clarity. Learn more about how to approach water clarity issues.

Tornadoes, hurricanes, forest fires—disasters can do a lot of damage to parks and playgrounds. Learn how to be prepared before disaster occurs, and how places like Joplin, Mo., New Orleans and New Jersey are recovering in the wake of a variety of disasters.

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.

Big-time waterparks offer big-time thrills, but there's no reason smaller, local waterparks can't get in on the action. Here, we take a look at some of the strategies you can use to boost your waterpark's success.

Whether they're highly competitive players or just out for a little socializing and fun, grownups can reap all the benefits of recreational sports just as much as kids can.

Finding the right restroom structure to suit your park's needs shouldn't be the last item on your checklist. Given proper attention up front, restrooms can make a big difference for park patrons.

Here's how one community researched and found the right playground surface to meet their patrons' needs.

It's been a long time coming, but Philadelphia now has a skatepark like no other.

Getting your whole team on board and cooperating doesn't have to be a challenge. Here's a simple strategy to encourage teamwork.

A dog park can be as simple as a fenced-in area where dogs can romp and play, but it can also be so much more. Here's some advice on setting up an effective park for pooches.

Upscale locker rooms feature a lot of fancy amenities, but you shouldn't overlook the importance of a scale. With more and more people focused on wellness, this simple tool can make a big difference.

The right shelter or shade structure can make a big difference in the look and feel of your site. You can use shade and shelters to enhance your site's aesthetics, as well as protect patrons from sun. You might even boost revenues in the process.

Adding art to your site can provide a unique and engaging experience for visitors. And it's not as difficult as you might think. Read on to learn how to incorporate artistic elements into your existing or planned green spaces.

Adaptive sports programs are becoming more common, but the demand for them is rising at a much faster rate. Learn about the challenges around these offerings, and what resources exist to help you implement them.

Whether it's on the trail or in the nature center, programming designed to enhance people's understanding of nature is still popular. Learn from some successful programs, then get your own nature programs started.

When it came time to rework the popular Salem Family YMCA, there was no lack of good ideas. Learn how this facility made its way through a highly effective renovation project.

A new city-wide project to bring play to every corner of the district has kicked off with an impressive, inclusive play space at the Rosedale Recreation Center.

Before you add stabilizer to your chlorine-treated pool, get some advice from the experts and be sure you're protecting your patrons—and your bottom line.

How would you write an episode of the popular sitcom "Parks & Recreation"? Here's one take.

Keeping your synthetic turf in top shape requires careful adherence to maintenance practices. This month, the experts give you a quick rundown.

With the job market continuing its slow recovery, many in the field of recreation, sports and fitness facility management have decided to improve their education. Here are some of the implications of degrees in the field.

Cities and communities across the country have discovered the many benefits to be had by adding up-to-date play spaces. Find out about some of the latest trends in playground design.

Staying on top of the latest fitness trends—not falling for fads—will help ensure you're providing the right programming mix.

With childhood overweight and obesity continuing to plague the nation, creative school and YMCA leaders have come up with myriad strategies and programs to address the issue.

Successful—and revenue-generating—aquatic facilities take a smart approach to pool programming. Ensuring you're offering what patrons are looking for will help get them into your doors, and into the pool.

When the Memphis metro area lost its only public ice, a group of parents and others banded together to create the Mid-South Ice House. Part of the job was ensuring the facility was tough enough to withstand use and abuse.

Well-designed splash play areas take all users' needs into account, from the youngest tots to teens, parents and more. Here, the experts lead the way through successful design.

Earlier in the year, a CDC report led to a veritable storm of media reports on poop in pools. But as with most scientific reporting, a little perspective is called for.

Finding the right balance when designing community recreation facilities is a crucial part of the process. Experienced architects will know how to draw the line between too much and too little.