Spend time getting tangled up in each other’s business

By Ron Ciancutti

I don’t know many families that still collectively sit down to dinner anymore. In fact, I’ve seen a lot of modern homes with a “breakfast bar” but not many with actual kitchen tables. The bar typically has a television at one end that helps discourage any possible interaction or conversation. In my house, the dinner table was where my family met to discuss the highs and lows of our day. I learned to tell a joke and speak before a group of people at that sacred place. Usually, I received some much-needed parental advice, too. Sometimes that advice came simply from what my parents observed was going on in my life. I didn’t have to ask. They were connected to me, not constantly distracted from me. They were raising a family.

Hold coaches to the same standards for safety and uniformity

By John Engh

There is a feature on the National Alliance for Youth Sports website (www.nays.org) available for parents to report a coach who is behaving badly. The feature is called, you guessed it, “Report a Coach.” 

Unfortunately, the feature is getting far more use than we ever imagined.

And some of the reports are beyond alarming. 

Inspiring residents to explore parks creates a buzz that began with a simple walk through the storage room

By Margaret Collett

In the summer of 2020, parks and recreation departments across the country were looking for ways to engage community members safely since the COVID-19 pandemic brought most traditional programming to a halt. In Appleton, Wis., the parks and recreation team took on a “2020 Summer Reimagined” theme and set to work on brainstorming safe, community-engagement programs. The team decided to go with weekly themes that included activities and contests promoted through the website and social media. Each team member was assigned a week, and the creativity began! Jeff Brazzale, Recreation Programmer for Youth Sports, was put in charge of Sports Week and went to his storage room for inspiration. He returned with 400 tennis balls, which had been used for programs in years past and needed to be recycled. His initial thought was to distribute the balls and have participants send in videos or photos of how they were enjoying the new balls: maybe playing catch, performing trick shots, bouncing the balls at a park, or even decorating them with a creative design so a winner could be chosen. After further consideration, to ensure engagement and to simplify the event, the discussion turned to an Easter egg hunt. This idea seemed to check all the boxes.

More than a fancy word, use it to improve results in swim lessons

By Jo An M. Zimmermann and Stacey Bender

Aquaticity is a term historically used in biology and refers to the capacity of an organism to function or be comfortable in an aquatic environment (Vaveri et al., 2016). By focusing on skills such as breath-hold capacity, buoyancy, propulsion, and physical conditioning (endurance and strength), participants can develop a higher level of comfort in the water (aquaticity improves). The idea is the higher a person’s level of aquaticity, the more comfortable and secure the feeling is in an aquatic environment.

Waterfront park improvements aim to create community gathering spaces

By Brad Smith

Casablanca Waterfront Park is a dynamic park that offers visitors a diverse range of experiences with spectacular views of Lake Ontario. The park is in the town of Grimsby, and the surrounding area is becoming an upscale, desired location. Over the past five years, the town has seen steady growth with the completion of several high-density projects and an increase in population.

Field Sports Park provides safe, supervised firing-range opportunities

By Joanna Piedmont

East of one of the busiest freeways in California, bright lights beckon southbound drivers coming from San Jose on Highway 101. Those who have wondered but never stopped to inquire may be surprised to learn they have just passed the only publicly-owned firing range in the Bay Area. 

Whiting Forest provides a memorable experience that fosters inter-generational interaction

By Frances Owen

Now in its 11th year, the Great Iowa River Race begins within Iowa City (at a river access managed by the city) and ends 9.25 miles downstream on the Iowa River at Hills Access Campground, a property managed by Johnson County Conservation. Canoers, kayakers, and paddleboarders are welcome to compete in the event, which is divided into recreational and competitive heats. The race is not only a fun community event, but also a small fundraiser for county conservation. Proceeds have been used to purchase a fleet of 10 kayaks to introduce even more folks to paddling. It takes several staff members and community partners, as well as a group of volunteers, to pull off this event. 

Grow food, friendships, and opportunities

By Ann Christoph

Community gardens are increasingly appreciated as urban amenities, where social isolation—both from standardized-housing tract design and from COVID-19 pandemic restrictions—can be relieved. For example, the community of Rancho Mission Viejo in southeast Orange County, Calif., advertises “Get closer to nature and neighbors with all the elements to grow and thrive.” A 2022 study by Eiji Toda and Edward Lowe1 of Soka University surveyed six community gardens in south Orange County. Their findings substantiate this trend and suggest that community gardens reflect a shift in the “utopian visions of post-suburban planning” away from a consumerist/privacy-oriented lifestyle to a “newer one that enables access to nature and sustained social connections among residents.”

Finding balance between ATV use and nature conservation

By Jefferey Spivey

ATV riding continues to be a popular American pastime—one that is often of tremendous value for many states.

“Recreation in Idaho is a billion-dollar industry, and communities know that motorized recreationists bring with them funds to spark the local community,” says Chelsea Chambers, Public Information Specialist for the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation (IDPR).

But the prevalence of ATVs and other off-highway vehicles (OHVs) creates some tension between the permitting of fun outdoor activity and preserving nature. Various park systems across the country are managing these competing priorities in different ways.

Stop lying to yourself and step up to the plate

By Ron Ciancutti

Now in its eleventh season, The NFL Today television show precedes the weekly Sunday 1 p.m. football game with five men who exchange predictions, status reports, and game scores. Most of the hosts are former football players and coaches, and their knowledge gives viewers an inside track on issues that matter to the game. The “anchors” of the staff are Phil Simms, former New York Giants quarterback, and James Brown, a Harvard graduate as well as a long-time sportscaster and commentator.