MARCH 2003

When there's a climbing wall in the house, it draws attention. People are mesmerized. Gone are the days of molded plastic holds bolted on to sheets of plywood. These days, technology has out-rocked rock itself.

Climbing walls are showing up in more and more facilities, so how do you make yours stand out? Check out some innovations in both unique programs and wall technology to set yours apart.

Architects and other design experts across the country increasingly are finding site furnishings to play an important role not only in how parks, recreational facilities and other public spaces are perceived, but how they are used.

Landscape architects and interior designers are stretching and changing the use of site furnishings. In doing so, they are putting the aesthetics in athletics.

No matter who you are or how well your organization is run, negative press can find you. The key is to remain focused and professional.

Navigating the sea of public relations is a tricky task. We promote smooth sailing with tips on how to handle negative press and ways to generate positive publicity.

Get the latest dirt on the best practices for grounds maintenance and turf management from pros across the country. Our tips from some of the nation's top programs will put you at the head of the class.

No matter whether you tend a little-league diamond or baby its big-league brother, there's something that is sure to apply to your situation.

Although we design, build and operate our facilities with the safety of our guests foremost, accidents and lawsuits are still possible. In this day and age and in this litigious society we live in, lawsuits are always possible and sometimes probable. Is your facility doing all that it can to protect itself?

While fitness facility managers realize the importance of having the proper mix of cardiovascular and strength-training equipment to meet the needs of their exercisers, many don't realize how imperative the layout and planning of the facility can be to its success. Although liability can never be entirely eliminated in a center, a properly designed facility will help limit it.

When designing the layout of your facility, always keep safety, functionality and comfort top-of-mind. Doing this will limit liability and ultimately give facility patrons better exercise experiences.

There is no doubt that property managers and owners are continually looking for effective ways to properly manage their ponds and lakes. Factors such as allotted budgets, current pond conditions and available work force all must be taken into consideration for any pond maintenance program.

It's hard to go swimming when you don't even know there's a pool around.

Such was the case for many of the 11,000 members of the Mission Valley YMCA in San Diego. For 18 years, the facility's the six-lane, 45-meter-by-25-meter outdoor pool was hidden away from sight by looming walls. Find out how the Y put its pool in the spotlight.

Find out how one family fun park decided to take the plunge into the skate park business, from researching park layouts and amenities to even the right music. Embracing the skating crowd so far has been a boon for business.

Talk about growing pains. There was no doubt Bridgewater State College in Bridgewater, Mass., needed a new gym. Badly. The physical education (movement arts) and athletics and recreation departments all shared one 45-year-old gymnasium, which was constantly jammed with classes, athletic practices, intramural games, you name it. Scheduling was a logistics nightmare, sometimes with no free time from dawn to late night even for students to shoot a few hoops.

Well, the college did its homework, so take a tour of the new big building on campus.