As the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic wanes, the state of youth sports for children and teens has changed, with greater appreciation by parents and policymakers for the physical and mental health benefits of staying active.

After a couple of years of workforce disruption that has made it difficult for aquatic facilities to find lifeguards and other aquatic professionals, the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance is jumping into the waters of workforce development.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) joined partners from the public and private sectors to announce nearly $91 million in grants through the America the Beautiful Challenge. (ATBC). The 55 grants will support landscape-scale conservation projects in 42 states and three U.S. territories, leveraging $50.7 million in matching contributions to generate a total conservation impact of about $141.7 million.

Adaptive and inclusive programming are essential to communities, providing more access to a wider variety of people of all abilities. A recent poll conducted by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) showed that U.S. adults are highly supportive of adaptive and inclusive recreation programming provided through local park and recreation agencies.

A new study investigates how often emergency medical services were called for sport-related emergencies based on access to athletic training services. The study found that schools with athletic trainers are better prepared for sport-related emergencies than those without.

Swim lesson providers can now apply for the 2023 USA Swimming Foundation Learn-to-Swim Grant. Applications will be accepted until Dec. 15, 2022.

The U.S. Soccer Foundation recently announced that more than 121,000 girls from underserved communities have benefited from its soccer programs in the past three years, tripling the number of girls in its programs annually. In addition, the Foundation and its partners have engaged 5,475 coaches who identify as women or non-binary over the same time frame.

The coasts of the United States, from the beaches of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans to the shores of the Great Lakes, serve the American public in myriad ways, providing recreational, economic and environmental benefits. More than 400 million people visit coastal and estuary waters in the U.S. for recreation and tourism each year. Unfortunately, historical inequities have led to restrictive coastal access policies, and only 10% of coastal areas have strong legal protections to ensure equitable public access. So says a new analysis from the Hispanic Access Foundation and the Center for American Progress.

The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) has announced its 2022 Professional Awards. The 28 award-winners represent the highest level of achievement in the landscape architecture profession, and include several park and waterfront projects.

Data collected by the American Red Cross and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2020 shows previous success and gains around water competency swim skills for young adults may have been disrupted due to complications stemming from the pandemic.