California Parks & Recreation magazine, Winter 2021, Vol. 77, No. 1 by Alisha Herriott

California

PARKS &RECREATION www.cprs.org

OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE CALIFORNIA PARK & RECREATION SOCIETY

Volume 77, Number 1 • Winter 2021

VIRTUAL

March 22-26, 2021

CALIFORNIA PARKS & RECREATION • WINTER 2021

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Landscape Architects and Park Planners PLANNING AND DESIGNING ... Demonstration gardens, mitigation + restoration landscapes Nature parks, interpretive gardens + wilderness camps Streetscape development + redevelopment Community, neighborhood + mini-parks Facility master plans + feasibility studies School fields + campus planning Irrigation renovation + redesign Design guidelines + standards Sports parks + stadiums Grant applications “DVD continues to build its reputation on creativity and service in the design of outstanding public spaces. We create high quality public spaces for our clients’ communities and neighborhoods. We work with public agencies and the people they serve to develop innovative landscapes of outstanding beauty.” David Volz, President, RLA, LEED AP, QSD/QSP

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PARKS &RECREATION WINTER 2021 • VOLUME 77, NUMBER 1 www.cprs.org From the President

Buyer’s Guide

Spotlight

6 46 56

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2021 CONNECTION VIRTUAL CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS ....................8 The 2021 Conference has gone virtual and with that we have a new format, new sessions, new Expo Hall. Learn about what’s new here.

CREATING AN INCLUSIVE CULTURE WITHIN YOUR AGENCY............. 22 One place to start your agency’s journey into justice, equity, diversity and inclusion, ist to begin with own organization’s culture and how inclusive it is for your staff. Editor Stephanie Stephens, CAE Executive Director Managing Editor John Glaeser Director of Communications Advertising Melonie Zarzuela Advertising Manager CALIFORNIA PARKS & RECREATION (ISSN 0733-5326) is published quarterly by the California Park & Recreation Society, Inc., 7971 Freeport Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95832-9701. Opinions expressed in credited articles are those of the author and not necessarily those of the society. Subscription rate is $30.00 per year and is included in membership dues. Individual subscriptions apart from CPRS membership are available only to colleges, libraries and members of CAPRCBM. Single copy price for all other issues is $7.50 for members and $12.50 for nonmembers. Periodicals postage paid at Sacramento, California, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to CALIFORNIA PARKS & RECREATION, 7971 Freeport Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95832-9701. Send manuscripts, query letters and artwork to John Glaeser. Advertising materials should be forwarded to the address above or call 916/6652777. Guidelines for submitting articles and advertising rates are available from same address, or from the CPRS website (www.cprs.org). ©2020, California Park & Recreation Society, Inc.

TOP COVID-19 STRATEGIES FOR RECREATION CENTERS................... 26 A number of agencies were interviewed nationwide about their response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. This article reveals how some top-notch agencies carried forward on servicing their communities.

RESEARCH REVIEW: WHAT EVERY PRACTIONER SHOULD KNOW ABOUT YOUTH SPORTS SPECIALIZATION........................................... 32 The desire of parents and players to obtain a scholarship or pro contract has brought about the idea of starting their children at a particular sport at an early age and then to specialize only in that sport. What are the negative and positive aspects of this.

RESEARCH REVIEW: THRU-HIKER AND LAND MANAGER EXPERIENCES ON THE PACIFIC COAST TRAIL........................................................36 This study is the result of 18 months of interviews of hikers on the Pacific Coast Trail. The results reveal advice hikers have for other hikers, trail providers and how to protect this valuable resource.

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Okizu by Tara Gee • CPRS President Okizu

This is a Sioux word meaning unity, to come together to heal from a hurt, to make whole. Wow! This is my wish for all of us in 2021.

Silver Linings

As I recap our EPIC year, I look at the outcomes due to the pandemic. We:

• Came together as members to share and deal with a world-wide issue we never anticipated in our wildest dreams (or should I say “nightmares”?); • Showed resilience by innovating and creating programs and events that continued to serve our communities in crucial ways; • Served our communities in both traditional and non-traditional roles that expanded the value of parks & recreation and helped our communities survive; • Saw unprecedented numbers of people flocking to our parks, trails and open spaces and it was all we could do to ensure these spaces remained safe to use; • Became the refuge for our communities to support mental wellness and physical health; • Embraced the cultural awakening and worked hard to become more (diversity) aware, more introspective of our biases and more determined to make a change; and • Heard our communities demand our services as essential to a quality of life that was no longer taken for granted.

Prescription 4 Play

At Conference, I introduced a CAP tool. This was the result of the collec-

2020-2021 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

tive Class of 2020 Presidents. We’d been talking about allied partners and who will tell our story. We created a prescription pad called “Prescription 4 Play”. This pad prescribes outdoor play, taking a walk in a park, read a book under an Oak tree, swing on a swing set, and more. This is about mental wellness and physical health. At the October NPRA Conference, outdoor prescriptions were brought up as needed more than ever especially since we were again ordered to stay at home or limit our exposure to others. Depression and fatigue have set in. If we focus getting one prescription pad at a time with our professional partners, e.g. your child’s pediatrician, high school nurse, senior center, teen groups, police activities leagues, nonprofit partners, service clubs, agencies and use it, we can reach further than before. We will be strengthening our connection to parks, programs and public spaces with health and wellness beyond COVID. Thanks to Little Tikes and All About Play for sponsoring the first run of the prescription pads. If you want a prescription pads, email CPRS and we will send them to you.

Our 2020/21 Goals

In addition to the silver linings, noted earlier, we met the goals set for this year: Encourage others to “tell our story” regarding the value of our parks & recreation profession • The pandemic highlighted the value of our services from virtual programming, accessible outdoor places and spaces and our contribucontinued on page 58

PRESIDENT Tara Gee City of Roseville 916-774-5253 tgee@roseville.ca.us PRESIDENT-ELECT Tom Hellmann City of Folsom 916-461-6617 thellmann@folsom.ca.us VICE PRESIDENT Frank Carson City of El Cajon 619-441-1756 fcarson@cityofelcajon.us SECRETARY-TREASURER Nicole Acquisti City of Burlingame 650-558-7337 nacquisti@burlingame.org REGION 1 REPRESENTATIVE (Dist 1, 2, 3) Adam Chow City of San Ramon 925-973-3321 achow@sanramon.ca.gov REGION 2 REPRESENTATIVE (Dist 4, 5, 6) Juliene Flanders City of Patterson 209-895-8080 jflanders@ci.patterson.ca.us REGION 3 REPRESENTATIVE (Dist 7, 8, 15) Theresa Johnson City of Kerman 559-846-9383 tjohnson@cityofkerman.org REGION 4 REPRESENTATIVE (Dist 11, 13, 14) Helen Hernandez City of Baldwin Park 626-214-1601 x360 hhernandez@baldwinpark.com REGION 5 REPRESENTATIVE (Dist 9, 10, 12) Jenni Worsham Cypress Recreation & Park District 714-229-6675 jworsham@cypressca.org SECTION REPRESENTATIVES (Administrators, Development & Operations, Educators and Recreation Therapy) Doug Grove RHA Landscape Architects 951-781-1930 dougg@rhala.com (Aging, Aquatics, and Recreation) Leah Madonich Town of Danville 925-314-3431 lmadonich@danville.ca.gov Please contact any Board Member with questions or comments

Tara Gee is the 2020-21 CPRS President and the Park Planning & Development Superintendent at the City of Roseville. 6

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VIRTUAL

CONNECTIONS Virtual Is Finally Here and We Can’t Wait To Have You Join Us!

hether you are working from home in your favorite fuzzy slippers or masked up in the office, we hope you’re ready to engage in over 50 education sessions, 5 opening keynote presentations, 12 Solution Circles and at least a handful of fun evening socials. Connect with your peers at CONNECTIONS Virtual, March 22 – 26! To help you plan your week with us, here’s a quick snapshot of what’s in store for you… Each morning, wake up with an episode of Good Morning CPRS, our very own morning news show! Hosted by your favorite anchors, Mark Nix and Chad Clanton, we’ll get your neurons firing and belly laughs rolling with stories from around the state. Keep that coffee warm as we move into not one, not two, but 5 outstanding, thoughtprovoking and inspiring keynote addresses throughout the week… 8

• Neelay Bhatt will kick off the week with his energy inducing talk about Innovation and Inclusion and how we must be ready to plan for the future now! • Tuesday’s Keynote will be all about setting your intention and moving into a Growth Mindset with Lori Hoffner. • Wednesday is a definite ‘don’t miss’ as we have a conversation with Habin Girma, the first deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School. She will inspire you to move beyond your real and perceived limits! • Dima Ghawi joins us Thursday morning as we dive into Managing our Unconscious Bias and continue our work together to become JEDI Masters. • We wrap up on Friday morning with Simon Bailey and his infectious en-

ergy! You’ll leave feeling celebrated and ready to tackle all that our world is tossing at you.

But wait, there’s more…

With 50 education sessions to choose from spaced out throughout the week, we know you’ll find the education and resources you need to fill your toolbox for the coming year. And did you hear? As a full conference attendee, you have access to ALL 50 sessions for up to 30 days!

That takes care of the mornings… how will you choose to spend your afternoons?

Several of our Sections are hosting Intensives throughout the week. Check out page 14-15 for more information! We built the schedule to allow you flexibility… keep learning with us or balance out your office/work/home

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VIRTUAL

life by stepping away for the afternoon, the choice is yours.

Education is the ‘steak’… our Expo and Socials add in the ‘sizzle’!

Nearly 60 industry experts will be on hand to share their knowledge, products and services with you. Be sure to engage with them in our interactive virtual platform. From product videos and conference attendee downloads, to one on one video chats and Solution Circles, there are multiple opportunities for you to network with these supporters. And,

just as if we were ‘in person’ there will be give-aways! Be sure to stop by our virtual expo throughout the week and thank all of our industry experts for their continued support of CPRS and our profession. See page 18 for more details on Exhibitors. We’ve filled your mornings with education, break times with visits to the virtual Expo, and afternoons with Section Intensives… come back in the evenings for the FUN! Several of our Districts, Sections and Regions are planning the networking, tankfilling, creativity sharing socials we all love about a CPRS Conference. No

charge for any of our socials and ALL are welcome to attend! Check out our CONNECTIONS Virtual web site (https://www.cprs. org/education/conference) to get the latest news about sessions, intensives, registration, and socials. Starting the week of March 15, you’ll be able to build your schedule online so you won’t miss a minute. Come with open hearts and open minds as we all experience CONNECTIONS Virtual, March 22-26, 2021. See you online!

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE Monday March 22

Tuesday March 23

Wednesday March 24

Thursday March 25

Friday March 26

8:30 am 9:30 am

Opening Session

General Session

9:45 am 10:45 am

Breakout Sessions

Closing Celebration 8:30 am 10:45 am

11:00 am 12:00 pm

Breakout Sessions

Visit Exhibitors

Breakout Sessions

Visit Exhibitors

11:00 am 2:15 pm

Visit Exhibitors

12:15 pm 1:15 pm

Breakout Sessions

1:15 pm 3:15 pm

Visit Exhibitors

Visit Exhibitors/ Sponsored Solution Circles

Visit Exhibitors

Visit Exhibitors/ Sponsored Solution Circles

2:00 pm 5:30 pm

Intensives

6:00 pm -

Socials

CALIFORNIA PARKS & RECREATION • WINTER 2021

VIRTUAL

Opening Session Speakers Monday, March 22 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. Neelay Bhatt Build Your Agency’s Future at the Intersection of Innovation & Inclusion Neelay’s career on five continents includes Disney, The Super Bowl, The Olympics, besides several years of consulting, public speaking and training. TEDx, the global platform for ideas, describes him as a business and communications visionary, and his service on the National Recreation and Park Association’s Board of Directors served to ensure that ‘no child is left indoors’. He serves as the Vice President of the Immigrant Welcome Center and aspires to make Indy the most welcoming city in America. Most recently, he was chosen by the Indianapolis Business Journal as Indy’s Forty under 40 business leaders impacting the community. He is an alumnus of the Harvard Kennedy School and #1 ranked Sports Management Program at Ohio

University and his keynotes and talks on magical customer service, trends, empathetic leadership and the art of storytelling have benefited executives, professionals, startups and students from North America to China and from Europe to New Zealand. He champions “Ideas Worth Spreading” as the curator and organizer for TEDxIndianapolis, TEDxIndianapolisWomen and TEDxCollegePark (MD) besides leading a TED Global workshop in Canada, presented multiple TEDx talks and coaching TEDx presenters as well. As the Principal at PROS Consulting INC. (headquartered in Indianapolis), he has led 130+ strategic and master planning, sports facility development, customer service training, and marketing and branding projects. These projects have recommended facility development and infrastructure improvements totaling over $2 billion USD and are helping shape a better vision for health and wellness, conservation and social equity in communities globally.

Tuesday, March 23 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. Lori A. Hoffner Building That Brain Muscle Takes Action and Practice – Developing a Growth Mindset Lori A. Hoffner has been offering training for positive youth development, community networking and organizational relationship building since 1997 and has spoken nationally regarding youth program development, employment and staff engagement as well as multiple community issues. For 11 years, Lori was the Executive Director of PACCT, a small non-profit

in Jefferson County, Colorado, an organization dedicated to the success of youth and community. Lori specializes in positive staff and organizational relationships based on generational studies and research. Additionally, she has years of experience with youth programming, program development and youth staffing.

Wednesday, March 24 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. Haben Girma A Conversation with Haben Girma The first Deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School, Haben Girma is a human rights lawyer advancing disability justice. President Obama named her a White House Champion of Change. She received the Helen Keller Achievement Award, a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, and TIME100 Talks. President Bill Clinton, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Chancellor Angela Merkel have all honored Haben. Haben believes disability is an opportunity for innovation, and she teaches organizations the importance of choosing inclusion. The

WINTER 2021 • CALIFORNIA PARKS & RECREATION

u J EDI

play for all

CALIFORNIA PARKS & RECREATION • WINTER 2021

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Opening Session Speakers

New York Times, Oprah Magazine, and TODAY Show featured her memoir, Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law.

Thursday, March 25 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. Dima Ghawi The Three Cs for Managing Unconscious Bias Dima is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, workshops, training programs, and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to develop critical business skills and expand their leadership potential. In addition, she has provided guidance to business executives to help them understand the value of gender diverse leadership, and to develop a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization. Dima draws from two decades of corporate experience leading global teams and developing future leaders worldwide. She has worked across the 12

United States, Europe, Asia, Middle East, and Africa for several Fortune 100 companies including IBM, Merrill Lynch, and Intuit. Through her work, she has honed a keen expertise in developing leaders to meet the demands of the global workforce.

Friday, March 26 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. Simon Bailey Thrive and Flourish in the Midst of Adversity Simon T. Bailey believes you are meant to share your brilliance. His passion and purpose is unlocking that ability in a way that ignites sustainable transformation. He understands the pressure leaders and high performers are facing in the midst of uncertainty and equips them with simple, easy-to-implement strategies to accelerate results. Recognized by Washington Speakers Bureau as one of the 12 business speakers who embolden audiences to think big and lead with purpose and by BigSpeak! as one of the top sales kickoff speakers, Simon knows how

to challenge an audience and provide them with tangible takeaways and sustainable action steps. LinkedIn Learning features three of his online courses that reach professionals in 100 countries. Simon has more than 30 years experience in the hospitality industry, including serving as sales director for Disney Institute, and has worked with more than 1,800 organizations in 50 countries. He has been named one of the top 25 people who will help you reach your business and life goals by SUCCESS magazine, joining a list that includes Brene Brown, Tony Robbins, and Oprah Winfrey. His Goalcast video, released on Facebook, has over 90 million views worldwide. When he is not working, Simon serves as a board member for the U.S. Dream Academy and Orlando Health Foundation Board.

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Intensives/Institutes

Monday March 22, 2021

Tuesday March 23, 2021

RT Institute

Development and Operations Section Virtual Park Symposium

Aging Section Intensive: Engaging with Aging

9 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Member: $99 Non-Member $149 Students (NO CEUs) $25 CEUs The RT Section will host sessions targeted at recreation therapy staff serving differing target populations.

10:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m. Member: $15 Non-Member $25 Join us for a virtual experience exploring the latest trends and best management practices in the development, operations and maintenance of park facilities. Topics include irrigation, power tools, plumbing, play surfacing and more!

2:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Member: $15 Non-Member $25 Receive updated information on the ongoing challenges of working with the older adult population: creative programming ideas, forecasting the future and maximizing use of senior strategic plans. Topics are relevant for those working with the aging population of today and tomorrow, as we try to anticipate the needs of the next wave.

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Intensives/Institutes Tuesday and Wednesday March 23-24, 2021

Rec Section Intensive: Resiliency… The Good, The Facts and The Money! Tuesday March 23, 2021

Aquatics Section Virtual Intensive: Risky Business

2:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Member: $10 Non-Member $15 Aquatics can be a real “risky business.” Without proper supervision, anything can occur - from dealing with tricky employees to people stealing furniture, the business of aquatics presents a variety of challenges. But with risk comes reward - so, sometimes you gotta say, “what the floaty duck!” and make your move. This year’s Aquatics Intensive focuses on mitigating risks - including facility management, staff training, and moving forward in the aquatics industry in the wake of COVID-19.

2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Members: $40 Non-Members $50 for both days This 2-session intensive series provides content for recreation professionals focused on diving into what it means to be a resilient leader that inspires and preserveres. You will be introduced to the role that cost recov-

CALIFORNIA PARKS & RECREATION • WINTER 2021

ery plays in recreation that is essential to financial efficiency and sustainability for programs and operations.

VIRTUAL

Solution Circles CPRS is excited to offer a new addition to the schedule for attendees at CONNECTIONS Virtual - Sponsorfacilitated Solution Circles!

What is a Solution Circle?

• Think of it as a roundtable discussion and an opportunity for you to engage around a certain topic. • Think of short presentations, open dialogue, and Q&A • Think of it as genuine networking opportunity with your peers These 30 minute interactive roundtable type sessions will revolving

around topics relevant to today’s challenges. Be sure to join conference sponsors PlayCore, Dave Bang Associates, GameTime, BCI Burke, Landscape Structures, Greenfield’s Outdoor Fitness, and Public Restroom Company to discuss challenges and solutions within the profession.

Some topics include:

Inclusion...way beyond accessibility Playground Design - risky business

offered outside of regularly schedule session times for maximum attendee access with two topics presented each time period.

Times: 1:15 – 1:45pm 2:00 – 2:30pm 2:45 – 3:15pm

Solution Circle Schedule

Set for both Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, Solution Circles will be

Thank You Conference Sponsors Champion

Partners landscape

structures

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Free to All – CPRS 2021 Virtual Marketplace – Research Products & Chat with Experts!

he CPRS Conference & Expo is known for its exceptional programming, networking, and opportunities to connect over emerging trends and topics in our field. This year’s virtual conference will include offerings and opportunities for engagement, including educational sessions, networking events, keynotes, plus space to connect with conference sponsors and exhibitors from across the USA and to meet with your professional peers from throughout California. Networking is a foundation of our annual event and at this year’s Conference attendees can engage with Exhibitors through our interactive and dynamic virtual conference platform. The system features multiple opportunities for attendees and exhibitors to meet with each other from the comfort and safety of their home or office. Connections can be made with exhibitors in the hall by visiting virtual booths, interacting through virtual conference calls and online chats. Additionally, attendees can watch company videos, download product information and attend the new Solution Circles. Solution Circles are 30 minute interactive roundtable type presentations by Conference Sponsors revolving around topics relevant to today’s challenges. Be sure to join PlayCore, Dave Bang Associates, GameTime, BCI Burke, Landscape Structures, Public Restroom Company and Greenfield’s Outdoor Fitness for these new offerings on Tuesday and Thursday at Conference. Last but not least, an added attraction will be drawings offered by a number of exhibitors. Simply visit booths to enter to win a number of great prizes! 18

The CPRS Expo Hall will have virtual booths available to visit throughout conference and up to a month after the conference is over. Virtual booths in the CPRS Expo Hall will be manned by vendor personnel Monday - Thursday, 11:00 - 2:15 for you to talk with them about your facilities, projects, or programs. You can research at your leisure 24/7 before visiting vendors to speak with them personally from 11:00 -2:15. Dedicated Hours will be: Monday, 1:15 - 2:15 Tuesday, 11:00 - 12:00 and 1:15 - 2:15 Wednesday, 1:15 - 2:15 Thursday 11:00 - 12:00 and 1:15 - 2:15 Solution Circles Hours will be: Tuesday & Thursday: 1:15-1:45 + 2:00-2:30 + 2:45-3:15

WINTER 2021 • CALIFORNIA PARKS & RECREATION

u Expo Hall Aqua Source, Inc. Providing customers with effective and powerful solutions, both in the pump room and the water. Aquatic Design Group Architecture and design for competition, recreation, and leisure aquatic facilities. Arborjet Arborjet’s committed to developing the most effective formulations and delivery systems in plant health care.

WE DESIGN

WATER YOU CAN USE

Since 1990, Jones & Madhavan has worked with public agencies throughout California to develop hundreds of successful aquatic facilities. If you are planning a new aquatic facility or are

considering modernization of an existing facility, Jones &

Conference Sponsor BCI Burke Playgrounds Commercial Playground Designer & Manufacturer

from beginning to end.

Berliner Seilfabrik Play Equipment Corporation State of the art play structures from the world’s leader in net climbing playground equipment.

• Renovation Analysis • Needs Analysis • Master Planning • Programming • Architecture • Engineering

California Park & Recreation Society CPRS exists for the success of its members by providing, education, networking, resources & advocacy CivicRec Community Parks and Recreation Management built specifically for local government.

SERVICES

Madhavan can provide the professionalism you will appreciate

• Aquatic Design • Construction Administration Dominguez Aquatic Center

Van Nuys / Sherman Oaks Recreation Center

Terra Linda Aquatic Center

Granite Hills High School

Community Works Design Group Award-Winning Park Planning, Landscape Architecture, Accessibility Planning and Irrigation Design/ Auditing Counsilman-Hunsaker Feasibility studies, master planning, design engineering, and operational services for aquatic centers. DAHLIN DAHLIN works with parks and recreation leaders to design sustainable, long-lasting, vibrant community facilities.

Conference Sponsor Dave Bang Associates Specialists in equipping parks, playgrounds, site furnishings, shade shelters, & athletic facilities since 1979. David Volz Design Landscape Architectural Design. EcoFert, Inc Landscape solutions company specializing in fertigation techniques.

Conference Sponsor GameTime GameTime is a leading manufacturer of commercial playgrounds, custom play spaces, and outdoor fitness equipment. GoTimeControl, Inc. (lightsonsites.com) LightsOnSites.com total control of scheduling, reservations, and billing for community facilities – anywhere & anytime!

100 East Thousand Oaks Boulevard, Suite 211 Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 T 805.777.8449 F 805.777.8489 E info@jmae.com W jmae.com

Greenfields Outdoor Fitness Outdoor fitness equipment including Professional Series, Signature Accessible line, Functional Fitness units, and Core Line. Date: 08.26.03 CALIFORNIA PARKS & RECREATION • WINTER 2021 Client: Jones & Madhavan Job #: 1922JM Description: Ad for California Parks & Recreation magazine Filename: 08.26_JM_Ad_1922JM Size: 3-1/2"x 9-1/4" vertical

Expo Hall u Conference Sponsor HAI, Hirsch & Associates, Inc. (Landscape Architects) Landscape Architecture, Park Planning & Design.

Greenville Towers: Think Big! Discover our high-rising climbing Towers! www.berliner-playequipment.com

KYA KYA is a solutions driven company specializing in surfacing, landscaping, modernization, playing-fields and courts.

Conference Sponsor Landscape Structures Playground equipment, outdoor music, shade, site furnishings. Lincoln Aquatics Distributors of commercial swimming pool and aquatic supplies since 1954. Little Tikes Commercial/All About Play/Pacific Park and Playground (Award Sponsor) Innovative and custom playground equipment represented by Pacific Park and Playground and All About Play. LPA, Inc. Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Interior Design, Engineering. Melton Design Group, Inc. A Chico and Sacramento based landscape architectural firm focusing on community improvement through design.

Conference Sponsor Miracle Recreation Supplier of playground equipment.

Conference Sponsor Musco Sports Lighting Thank you for stopping by our virtual booth. NGI Sports, A Division of River City Athletics, LLC. Innovative sports surfacing products for tennis, track, & pickle ball. NetPlay USA Play & Park Structures Commercial playground equipment that encourages imagination & builds key developmental skills. PerfectMind Parks & recreation membership management software to grow with your community.

Conference Sponsor Exclusive Berliner Representative in Southern California 800-669-2585

Bridget Muck Direct Representative for Berliner in Central Valley and Northern California 864-627-1092

Exclusive Berliner Representative in Greater Bay Area, North Bay, South Bay, East Bay Region 800-475-1071

PLAYCORE PlayCore builds communities through research, design, programs, and products to match your unique needs. Playcraft Systems Supply & install of outdoor recreation equipment & shade structures.

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u Expo Hall Conference Sponsor Public Restroom Company Public Restroom Company is a design/build specialist for “odor free” park restroom and related buildings. RHA Landscape Architects - Planners Park and sports facility design, park renovation, historical site design, consensus building, synthetic turf expertise. RJM Design Group, Inc. (Award Sponsor) Planning & design of parks & facilities; public works; master planning; unique community workshop process. Robertson Recreational Surfaces IPEMA certified recreational safety surfacing and maintenance services. RRM Design Group Landscape architects, engineers, architects, and planners who specialize in parks, trails, and open space design. S.R. Smith LLC - Canby, OR Established in 1932, we have successfully evolved into a leader in commercial pool products. Sator Soccer Sator Soccer is your premier source for pro-quality, low cost Agora goals, equipment, and more. Schmidt Design Group Landscape architecture and planning

Park Planning Design Build Plan Checking Budget Analysis Consensus Building Inclusive Playgrounds Demonstration Gardens

SCORE Sports Athletic apparel & uniforms, sports equipment.

Skateparks

Shaw Sports Turf Synthetic turf and infill options for sports fields and landscape applications.

Splash Pads Feasibility Studies Historical Site Design

Sourcewell Harness the buying power of 50,000 participating agencies to save time/money purchasing what you need.

Athletic Field Planning Park & Recreation Master Plans

Stonehenge Signs, Inc. 100% real stone signage, landscape feature that is permanent and maintenance free. SVA Architects, Inc. (Award Sponsor) SVA Architects is a full-service architectural firm committed to creating sustainable environments for our communities. Techline Sports Lighting LED Outdoor Sports Lighting Systems USGreentech USGreentech provides progressive infills for the synthetic turf market including their products Envirofill and Safeshell. Verde Design, Inc. Landscape Architecture | Civil Engineering | Sport Planning & Design Vortex Aquatic Structures Intl. Water Moves Us. Vortex pioneered the Splashpad® and revolutionized the way children and families play.

The Prop 68 Round 4 deadline has been extended to March 12, 2021. With almost $400 million in available funding, let us help you realize your park vision and guide you and your community to a successful application! Please contact us for more information at dougg@rhala.com or the number below. 6800 Indiana Avenue, Suite 245, Riverside, CA 92506

951-781-1930 ext 121 CALIFORNIA PARKS & RECREATION • WINTER 2021

www.rhala.com 21

Creating an Inclusive Culture within your Organization As parks and recreation organizations look to move forward with justice, equity, diversity, By Dr. Brandon Taylor

Fresno State and Dr. Heather Vilhauer Cal State East Bay

and inclusion efforts, leaders often ask what their first steps should be. While there is no right answer to this question, one place to start is with your own organization’s culture, specifically, at how inclusive it is for your staff.

WINTER 2021 • CALIFORNIA PARKS & RECREATION

u Inclusive Culture

rom an individual perspective, inclusion is defined as how welcome a person feels to be their authentic selves at work. According to the Arvana Group, an organization with an inclusive culture fosters a sense of belonging by centering, valuing, and amplifying the voices, perspectives & styles of those who experience more barriers based on their identities. Personal views on an organization’s culture’s inclusiveness are impacted by experiences with leaders, co-workers, and the organization’s norms and standards. Often people confuse a diverse organization with an inclusive organization. Diversity can be defined merely as the differences between us based on which we experience systemic advantages or encourage systemic barriers to opportunities (Arvana Group). Those differences can include everything from race, gender, age, sexual orientation, physical and intellectual abilities, and socio-economic status to work and life experiences and marital status, to name a few. Organizations become diverse organizations based on whom they hire. To become an inclusive organization requires intentional work on the part of the leadership within the organization. Multiple studies have shown that more and more employees consider an organization’s inclusiveness as they make career decisions, especially when deciding if they intend to seek out new opportunities. Employees report finding less meaning in their work when they feel that they cannot be their authentic selves. Creating a diverse and inclusive organization cannot just be a goal of the human resources department; it must be a multi-pronged effort that includes leadership and employees. A 2018 Pew Research Study found that 89% of Americans say business leaders are responsible for creating a safe and respectful workplace. As you start this work, the first question to ask yourself and others within your organization is, why are we doing this work? Where are we starting from? What do we hope to accomplish? What will our organization look like when we are done? One primary consideration

is what real inclusion looks like versus surface inclusion. Surface inclusion could be defined as check the box inclusion, where employees only feel included because they were supposed to be. Real inclusion provides a sense of belonging and acceptance.

Cultural Competency and Cultural Humility

To create inclusive cultures within organizations, leaders must demonstrate that they are willing to have tough conversations about justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in compassionate ways that respect those involved. Often, this requires leaders to become not only culturally competent but also have cultural humility.

To develop cultural competence and cultural humility, leaders must address their self-identity and experiences, and personal biases. You can find more details on cultural competence, cultural humility, and self-identity exercises on the JEDI Community on the CPRS website.

Organizational Culture

Organizational culture is the bedrock of all organizations. It helps employees understand how to act and behave and includes the beliefs and values of the organization. Many cultural components impact an organization’s inclusive nature, but the following are critical elements to consider.

CALIFORNIA PARKS & RECREATION • WINTER 2021

Respect

One of the critical components of an inclusive environment is respect. This includes respect for employee’s backgrounds as well as their work and life experiences. To do this, leaders should take the time to get to know each of their employees individually. Leaders should also provide opportunities for employees to get to know each other as well. This foundational work lays the groundwork for employees to respect and support one another and understand that everyone sees situations differently.

Inclusive Decision-Making

Another critical component of an inclusive environment is inclusive

decision making. Research has demonstrated that the diversity of those at the table for decision-making and the variety of those whose voices are heard and respected throughout the decision-making process directly impacts the organization’s performance. Things to consider as you move your organization toward inclusive decision making are: • Who is invited to the meetings where decisions are made? Who else could be asked? • Are meetings held at times when everyone is available? Or are individual voices left out?

Inclusive Culture u • Whose voices are heard at the meetings where decisions are made? Are they the same voices at every meeting? Do they include the diversity within your organization? • Whose voices have the most weight during the decision-making process? Should they? • Do meeting facilitators reward contributions in meetings and demonstrate that they value the input of all voices? Do they encourage conflicting ideas? • Is there a way to encourage all voices safely and inclusively? Can you ask for anonymous feedback before the meeting? As you work to develop an inclusive culture within your organization, it is essential to help employees understand the benefits of having a diverse workforce and diverse decision-makers while assisting them in creating an inclusive culture. To make this happen, consider implementing training on a variety of topics. It is vital that the training is not a one-off “diversity” style training, but relatively continuous training on issues related to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

these holidays only recognize a portion of employees within our organizations. Consider what holidays your organization recognizes and celebrates both within your organization and externally. Do the holidays recognized within your organization reflect your organization’s diversity, or are employees left out? If you have taken the time to get to know your employees, you will likely have an idea of what holidays are important to them. Make sure that your organization is celebrating holidays that are inclusive of your employees. Need help understanding what those holidays might be or understanding how to celebrate? There are many online resources available to help educators and other organizations plan culturally responsive holiday events. Dress Codes Many organization’s dress codes are not inclusive. Most are rooted in male, European/white, ableist culture. As our organizations diversify, managers must consider their current dress codes and the feelings of belonging they might inhibit amongst employees. Some things to consider:

• Does the dress code disproportionately affect one gender, ethnicity, or religion more than another? • Could the dress code be genderneutral? For instance, could it focus on articles of clothing instead of the gender wearing the clothing? • Do you have tattoo, piercing, or facial hair requirements that affect employees based on their religious beliefs? • Do you have hair requirements that discriminate against employees based on their ethnicity or religious beliefs? • If your organization requires uniforms, have you considered your employees’ various body types, or are they designed for a particular gender and/or body type? The key to an inclusive dress code is trust and respect for your employees. Many organizations have moved to less rigid dress codes that ask employees to use their professional judgment to dress in a way that keeps them safe and allows them to complete their work.

Fit As managers hire new employees, they often state that they are looking for an employee who will “fit” their culture. One of the problems with looking to hire for “fit” is that those already within the organization often define what “fit” is, indicating that hiring managers are typically looking for someone who has similar training, experiences, and perspectives to their own, making it into a discriminatory practice. This strategy often leads to groupthink problems, and it can inhibit creativity and innovation within the workplace. Instead of just hiring for cultural fit, managers should consider hiring for cultural add. For instance, consider hiring someone whose values are similar and will bring new ideas and potentially differing views. Holidays Holidays form the basis of many of our social gatherings within our organizations. Unfortunately, many of 24

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u Inclusive Culture The focal points presented in this article are but a drop in the bucket to becoming an inclusive organization. Becoming an inclusive organization is by no means an overnight transformative process. It is a cyclical one that requires constant, often incremental, progress. Making this shift means many current organizational practices will need to change, which will prove to be an uphill battle as our current practices have been developed over many years to be resilient and resistant to change. However, organizational leadership that is “all in” on justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion provides a guiding light as it embraces and experiences change. After all, who better to be the leaders in inclusion than a profession committed to improving people’s lives and what better way to do this than by embracing them as part of our organizations.

Continue the Conversation CPRS is in the process of developing a Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion working group. To become involved with the group, complete the form at this link: https://tinyurl.com/CPRSJEDI All are welcome; no experience in JEDI work is necessary. CPRS is also developing a survey on justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion to guide our profession. Additionally, professional development experiences created around JEDI concepts are offered throughout the year. These experiences range from open conversations at the District and State Level to one-hour workshops to half-day sessions. Each has a different focus and commitment level. For more information, watch for announcements from CPRS. For more information, you can also check out the JEDI Community on the CPRS website (https://www.cprs.org/jedijusticeequitydiversity inclusion/home). This community is a place where you can share resources and work with others from around the state interested in the same work. Dr. Taylor can be reached at brtaylor@csufresno.edu. Dr. Vilhauer can be reached at heather.vilhauer@csueastbay.edu

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Top COVID-19 Strategies for Recreation Centers

U By Greg Intermaggio Upcivic

pcivic interviewed park and recreation agencies nationwide to learn how top recreation centers are thriving despite the pandemic. In the following pages we share what we learned. During this period of extraordinary uncertainty, it has become incredibly difficult to orchestrate successful recreation programs. Health orders are constantly changing and are often in conflict at the city, county, and state level. Parents send mixed messages about what their families need. City budgets, meanwhile, are shrinking dramatically as governments reallocate funds to pandemic relief efforts. In summer 2020, many cities permitted recreation centers to hold summer camps, but only with extensive measures in place to protect participants. Some of these measures were relatively easy to implement, such as daily symptom checks and frequent hand washing. Others, such as maintaining a stable group of campers for 3+ weeks, made it impossible to move forward with camp schedules that had already been marketed. Top-performing recreation centers rapidly collaborated with their contract instructors, adjusting their programs to match local health orders. Slower-moving recreation centers were forced to cancel their summers completely. So what can you do to maximize your impact despite the challenges of the day? Here are our top tips: WINTER 2021 • CALIFORNIA PARKS & RECREATION

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Recreation Centers u Maximize community engagement.

Understanding and meeting the needs of your community is particularly challenging in a time when families hardly know their own needs from day to day. It’s important to understand how to ask the right questions in determining community needs, book the right amount of programming, and, as you near capacity, to get creative with your use of space for social distancing. Try everything. See what sticks. Under normal circumstances, every community has unique needs. During these uncertain times, the variety of different needs between communities is even wider. For that reason, Emeline Noda, Acting Director of Recreation & Community Services for the City of Los Alamitos, CA recommends a scattershot approach for recreation centers to recreation programming. According to Noda, “COVID is one of the most challenging things we’ve had to deal with, but it’s made our

team the most creative and resourceful we’ve ever been.” Los Alamitos Parks & Recreation has managed to thrive despite the circumstances, and it’s clear: attitude and open-mindedness in the department played a huge role. Here’s a list of just some of the ideas Los Alamitos have experimented with: • Drive-thru zoo and trunk-or-treat • Drive-in bingo, movies, music, and fireworks • Senior wellness calls • Bikes and bites, an event where residents are encouraged to bike between local businesses, collecting coupons and bites to eat • Participatory social media posts (more on this later) Learn from colleagues. There are plenty of resources out there for recreation professionals looking for new ideas. According to Dennis Mannone, Recreation & Aquatics Director for Sudbury Park & Recreation, a weekly meeting with recreation

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directors has been very valuable for validating new ideas. Consider organizing regular meetings for colleagues in your district, or reaching out to your district, your state’s recreation association, or the NRPA to see what opportunities there are for you to learn from others on a more regular basis. Additionally, Noda suggests the “Women in Parks and Recreation” Facebook group, which has been invaluable to Los Alamitos as a source of inspiration. Ask the right questions in parent surveys. During our interviews of recreation professionals, we were happy to hear that several had been proactively sending out surveys to learn about their community needs. However, we were concerned when we learned that despite surveys indicating interest in certain programs, the participation just didn’t happen. To better understand how to ask the right questions and analyze survey results, we spoke with Victor Intermaggio, Masters, Quantitative Psychology. “It’s easy to write a survey question, but it takes more work to design one that gets you accurate results that represent what people will actually do,” says Intermaggio. “The goal should be for the decision that the respondent is considering during the survey to match the decision they’ll have to make in the real world. One tool for writing an effective survey is to get respondents to directly compare options, rather than gauging interest in them individually. “ Instead of asking “Would you sign your child up for indoor preschool?” you might ask “If you had to choose just one of the following options, which one would you choose? Indoor

WINTER 2021 • CALIFORNIA PARKS & RECREATION

u Recreation Centers preschool, outdoor preschool, or none, I’m not interested in preschool.” Then, once you’ve established interest, you might follow up by asking “If you indicated you’d be interested in indoor preschool, would you pay $X for a program meeting on these days/times?…” It’s also important to describe each option in a similar level of detail, and as close as possible to how the actual program might be described when marketed. You don’t want to ask for interest in “a STEM camp” that’s later marketed as “a LEGO camp”, and nor do you want to ask parents to compare interest in “a STEM camp” vs “a wilderness adventure camp where participants ages 7-14 will go on hikes daily.” By implementing these simple strategies of comparison & consistent descriptions, your survey results should become much more accurate and meaningful. For the adventurous interested in a deep dive into statistical analysis, Intermaggio recommends learning about

“Choice-Based Conjoint” or “Max Diff” quantitative surveying methods. Focus on variety over capacity. With most parents working from home, reliable childcare is more needed than ever. But many recreation centers are cancelling programs due to low enrollment. Selecting pandemicproof themes is important, but equally important is understanding the dramatically shifted capacity needs of your community. Consider starting slow, but with variety. Schedule programs with lower capacity than you have in the past to establish how much demand there is, then ramp up offerings as needed. This is a much less exciting approach than booking every program you can, but it’s better to book too few programs and max them all out than it is to book too many and cancel half of them. Mannone’s team in Sudbury has benefited from reducing their capacity to match demand: it allows them to lower their staffing expenses without sacrificing community benefit.

Use every inch of space for social distancing. There’s no telling what the health guidance will be by the time your next batch of activities begins, but we do know that the more space we have to socially distance, the less chance there is of transmitting COVID-19. With that in mind, top-performing recreation districts like Redwood City, CA are getting creative with maximizing their physical space for programming. Red Morton Community Center in Redwood City went as far as designating a small grass area in their parking lot for an outdoor camp. You might consider: • Dividing up fields and/or parking lots and designating each space for a pod • Using portable canopies to host normally indoor programs outside • Using physical partitions to divide up larger rooms to accommodate multiple smaller groups

(Soils & Barks)

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Recreation Centers u • Assigning bathrooms to camper “pods” rather than by gender

• Are you able to accommodate a 2:12 instructor to participant ratio for extra assistance with sanitization?

• Outdoor or drive-thru check-in/ check-out

• Are you able to transition to virtual if needed?

Go digital.

The combination of switching to remote work and dealing with rapidly developing health orders/community needs has made it very difficult for recreation centers to continue using physical mediums for communication and record-keeping. For that reason, we recommend exploring digital marketing channels, and managing paperwork in the cloud. Explore digital marketing channels. There’s something really intimidating about moving away from the printed recreation catalogs we know and love. They’re familiar, they’re effective, and they’re straightforward. Despite these advantages, they take a long time to distribute, and they can’t be modified once they’re in resident hands. As almost every recreation center who did manage to run camps in summer 2020 will tell you, it’s just not viable to send out paper guides when health orders and activity schedules may change at the drop of a hat. The digital realm is another area Los Alamitos has been pushing the envelope. Instead of paper catalogs, Noda’s staff sent out postcards directing families to their digital channels for the most up-to-date information. Over time, the department has built a very strong digital presence by becoming a source of educational, inspirational, and community-oriented content. Staff are now posting 2-3, sometimes even 5 times per day to Facebook and Instagram. Manage instructor and participant paperwork in the cloud. There are a number of advantages to managing paperwork digitally, and these are amplified during the pandemic. It’s critical, however, that you do it right. Many recreation districts rely on searching email chains for important documents, only to realize they don’t actually have the documents when they need them most. Instead of relying on email chains or 30

• What is your backup plan if your instructor gets sick?

physical files, many recreation centers are implementing management systems like ePACT (epactnetwork.com) for participant documents and eFilecabinet (efilecabinet.com) or Upcivic (upcivic.com) for contract instructor paperwork. These systems create a single, digital place for your critical documents to be stored. This way you get the double advantage of being able to rapidly find documents, and easily visualize what’s missing.

Partner with the right contract instructors.

With so much rapid change, recreation centers are challenged to decide which contract instructors to work with if any at all. We encourage you to consider your partnerships carefully. Can each of your contract instructors react quickly to changes? Do they provide activities that you expect to be popular? And who else is out there? Flexibility is key. As many have learned the hard way, health orders can dramatically change overnight. It has become critical to build more flexibility into your own department, and to seek contractors who can roll with the punches. Consider surveying your instructors about their comfort level with various potential scenarios like these: • Are you able to offer 4 weeks of full-time programming to the same “pod?” • Can you widen your age range to accommodate siblings in the same pod?

Choose winning activity themes. We’ve seen clear trends in most districts towards certain activity themes during the pandemic. Outdoor, screenless, and naturally socially-distant activities tend to be extraordinarily popular. Just about every other category is seeing dramatically reduced interest. Wilderness and tennis programs are doing great, while STEM and soccer programs are struggling to meet minimums. So when you’re putting together your activity schedule, be sure to factor in which activities have that natural appeal despite the pandemic. Shop around. In this time of great change, many contract instructors are going out of business while many others are just opening their doors. This is the perfect time to reach out to your existing instructors to ensure everyone you want to work with is still in business, and also to reach out to your community in search of great new talent to partner with. If you find yourself needing more contract instructors to meet demand, consider including a call for instructors in your next marketing push. Every community is different and yours is no exception. We encourage you to use these ideas as a jumping off point, and to continue learning every day. Please share your questions, comments, and ideas for future article/webinar topics with us. We’re excited to help you succeed! This article was researched and written by Upcivic. Our mission is to help recreation centers and activity providers thrive. Visit our Website, upcivic.com to subscribe to our blog and earn more about our software.

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R E S E A R C H

R E V I E W

A Balancing Act: What Every Practitioner Should Know About Youth Sport Specialization

Youth sport specialization has become increasingly popular in the United States in recent years (Buckley, et Researchers: Keri Schwab, Megan Bonwell, Brian Greenwood, and Anna Levine. California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo

al., 2017). Many young athletes attempt to specialize in a single sport in hopes of obtaining collegiate scholarships or ‘going pro’ in the future. While intense, single sport participation can have benefits, but there can also be negative consequences. The purpose of this study was to understand positive and negative experiences and perceived outcomes of single sport specialization among young adults, several years after ending their intense sport participation.

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u Research Review Background

Youth sport participation can lead to physical, cognitive, and emotional benefits, however it is not clear if specializing in a single sport through intense participation can add to or detract from those benefits. Specialization is when a young athlete, age 10-18, trains and competes in a single sport, and at the exclusion of all other sports, for at least eight months of the year (Capranica & Millard-Stafford, 2011). Physical benefits of youth sport are numerous and include improved sport-specific abilities (i.e., hand-eye coordination) and generally improved physical fitness (Myer et al., 2015). When young athletes work in team environments, they may improve their social and interpersonal skills, such as communication, conflict resolution, and teamwork. Participation in youth sports can also foster social values like caring, empathy, and compassion (Bailey, 2005). Studies have also found that participation in both individual and team sports can lower social anxiety (Dimech & Seiler, 2011), decrease feelings of social isolation (Barber, Eccles, & Stone, 2001), and improve self-esteem (Pedersen & Siedman, 2004). Young athletes may then experience improved wellbeing and mental health, likely from increased social opportunities and support (Jewett et al., 2014). While there are numerous benefits attributed to youth sport participation, there can also be negative consequences. Consistent year-round training in a single sport can hinder physical, social, and emotional benefits. Such intense training can result in overuse injuries, and physical and mental burnout (DiFiori et al., 2014). Intense training also requires substantial time after school and during the weekends. Such a demanding schedule can result in missed social and educational opportunities, which can then hinder relationship building and social skills, and lead to poor self-concept (Ferguson & Stern, 2014; Russell & Limle, 2013). Intense training can also result in chronic stress, loss of motivation, burnout, and mood disturbances, all of which can ultimately lead to dropout from youth sports (Goodger, Gorely, Lavallee & Harwood, 2007; Goodger, Wolfenden

& Lavallee, 2007). Fortunately, some of these negative consequences can be mitigated by the motivational climate created by the coach, and the support of parents, caregivers, and peers. The motivational climate of a sports team can greatly impact the young athlete’s experience. Much research has examined types of motivational climates and the coach’s role in creating that environment. Overall, studies indicate that a task or masteryfocused climate rather than an ego or performance-focused climate is more likely to foster positive outcomes of youth sport participation. In a taskfocused climate, the emphasis is on skill development, improvement, effort, and learning (Newton, Duda, & Yin, 2000). In such a climate, youth are more likely to feel enjoyment and competence, try hard, develop intrinsic interest, and persist in sport over time (Reinboth & Duda, 2006; van de Pol, Kavussanu & Ring, 2012). In a performance-focused climate, which emphasizes individual success and ego, young athletes are more likely to feel competitive with their teammates and engage in judgment and social comparison of their peers (Newton et al., 2000). Studies have found that youth in a performance-focused climate experience more tension, less enjoyment, and ultimately reduced effort, performance, and persistence (Van de Pol et al., 2012).

Methods

Researchers conducted open-ended interviews in order to gather rich, descriptive data from former youth sport specializers regarding their sport experience. Interviews are useful for gaining a deeper understanding of a sport psychology or sport-related phenomenon (i.e., Pynn, Dunn, & Holt, 2018). Researchers created interview questions based on youth sport and motivational climate literature. Interviewees were found through snowball sampling and had to meet the youth sport specializer criteria of having played in one sport, at the exclusion of other sports, for at least eight months of a year for at least one year between the ages of 10 and 17, and no longer participated in that sport. Researchers

CALIFORNIA PARKS & RECREATION • WINTER 2021

conducted 25 interviews that lasted 45-60 minutes, during which they asked about interviewee demographics, general sport experience, relationship with coaches, teammates, and parents, the decision to leave the sport, and the former athletes’ connection with the sport or physical activity now. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and independently coded for emergent themes by two researchers.

Results

From the 25 interviews, results are organized into two major areas; Benefits and Burnout. At the time of the interviews, the former youth athletes had an average age of 21.1 years old and had played their sport an average of 10.9 years. Six interviewees identified as male, 19 identified as female. Soccer was the most common sport, with 10 interviewees having played it, followed by swimming (3), dance (2) and then one each for several other sports including volleyball, cheerleading, track, skiing, water polo and field hockey.

Benefits

Benefits espoused by the former athletes centered on a theme of selfimprovement through sport. Enhancement of personal time management, ability to work in teams, conflict resolution, and emotional control were all mentioned. One former youth athlete said, “I am very good at balancing a lot of things, and I think that was because I had to learn that at 10 years old when I was spending a lot of time in the gym and still had school.” Interviewees also talked about learning how to work with people with different perspectives. Said one, about skills learned then and still used now; “Respect, teamwork and compromise. Conflict resolution is huge.” In addition, athletes experienced emotional development, now useful in professional settings. This was explained as “basically how to keep my emotions in check and be able to put them aside when you need to get something done.” Interviewees also noted that youth sports helped to develop self-confidence and self-efficacy during their adolescent years. One said sports 33

Research Review u

helped her learn “to be able to tell yourself that you’re good enough,” and another said sports helped with “believing in yourself and being confident that the work you put in would pay off in the end.” While all of the interviewees no longer participate in sports competitively, a majority described how being an “athlete” is a major part of their identity, years later. This feeling of continued athleticism led most respondents to remain active in their daily lives and value a healthy lifestyle and physical fitness. Said one; “I think no matter what I’ll always identify as an athlete and a fit person and soccer really just shaped me in that way.” Coaches, parents and peers also played an influential role in how the former young athletes viewed the experience. Some recalled the powerful impact a positive coaching relationship had on them. One said the relationship helped him grow, “It was the way coaches pushed me and made my work ethic even better,” and another said their coach “saw me as a whole and could see the parts that I was struggling with and give me tips on how to fix it.” Others had negative experiences that ultimately led to their withdrawal from youth sports. One athlete remembered a time when the coach would “… come around and just pick on every little thing,” and another, recalling laps doled out as ‘punishment,’ said, “Punishment makes the environment stressful.” These types of negative experiences through singlesport specialization can naturally lead to negative consequences.

Burnout

The primary element emerging as a negative consequence in this study centered on themes that ultimately 34

resulted in feelings of burnout. The former youth athletes who were interviewed mentioned missed social interactions with friends outside their sport, due to the intense time commitment required by sport specialization. One said she would ask herself: “Why am I doing this, what is the purpose? I want to be going to the pool with my friends and have sleepovers and I don’t want to go the gym at 7 or 8am.” Another negative element was the mental and physical exhaustion experienced, which often led to a lack of motivation and eventual overall burnout. One interviewee described her frustration; “I wasn’t getting better and I was trying hard at that point.” Another summed up both the missed social interactions and the physical burnout as, “At the end of my career I definitely think I was burnt out and would go to the gym crying, begging my mom not to make me go that day, and I just wanted to go home and I didn’t want to do it anymore.”

Application

It is important for youth sport practitioners to recognize that youth sport can yield numerous benefits but also can have negative consequences for participants. While early specialization might be right for one child, it could be detrimental for another. For youth who do participate in high intensity competitive environments, and in an ego or performance-focused climate, they might experience physical and mental exhaustion, injury, frustration, missed social connections, and general burnout. Adults involved in a child’s life should consider if ‘going pro’ is a realistic outcome of intense sport specialization, and if it is worth the loss of social and extracurricular opportunities. Benefits reported by subjects in this study were not necessarily attributed to intense participation. Benefits such as time management and emotional regulation could be learned from moderate sport participation. The negative impact of sport specialization, however, was often attributed to the intense training and competing schedule. A more balanced approach to youth sport participation could be sampling.

Sampling is trying different, often loosely structured activities, and usually with minimal adult supervision. In sampling, youth are afforded opportunities to build physical and cognitive skills as meets their current needs and interests. Sampling is a good way to foster confidence and competence in a child, as well as intrinsic motivation to be active (Côté, Baker, & Abernethy, 2007). Those who sample are more likely to have stronger family and community connections, and a greater sense of social capital (Côté, Horton, MacDonald, & Wilkes, 2009; Strachan, Côté, & Deakin, 2009). Recreation practitioners can support sampling by offering one-time workshops in which youth can try a new activity once or twice but without committing time or money to a long program. There are a few other ways to balance intense or moderate youth sport specialization or participation. Adults could support and provide additional free time outside of sport training and school to allow a child to make social connections and establish a larger and more diverse group of friends. Such additional free time could improve an athlete’s social abilities and diversify their friend group as they navigate the highly social (and sometimes awkward) adolescent years. To reduce the mental and physical exhaustion that some young athletes experience, adults could provide time outside of school and sports, such as summer vacation, to allow even more unstructured free time to fill with family, friends, hobbies, or personal passions. While there are many benefits to youth sport participation, programmers, parents, and coaches should be aware of the potential negative consequences of intense specialization and consider offering youth options to sample and learn a variety of sports, with a more diverse group of peers and coaching styles.

References

Bailey, R. P. (2005). Evaluating the Relationship Between Physical Education, Spor t, and Social Inclusion. Education Review, 57(1), 71–90. https://doi.org /10.1080/0013191042000274196 Barber, B., Eccles, J., & Stone, M. (2001). Whatever happened to the jock, the brain, and the princess? Young adult pathways linked

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u Research Review to adolescent activity involvement and social identity. Journal of Adolescent Research, 16(5), 429–455. doi:10.1177/0743558401165002 Buckley, P. S., Bishop, M., Kane, P., Ciccotti, M. C., Selverian, S., Exume, D., … Ciccotti, M. G. (2017). Early single-sport specialization: A sur vey of 3090 high school, collegiate, and professional athletes. Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine, 5(7). doi:10.1177/2325967117703944 Capranica, L., & Millard-Stafford, M. L. (2011). Youth sport specialization: how to manage competition and training?. International journal of sports physiology and performance, 6(4), 572-579. Côté, J., Baker, J., & Abernethy, B. (2007). Practice and play in the development of sport expertise. In G. Tenenbaum & R.C. Eklund (Eds.), Handbook of sport psychology (pp. 184–202). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Coté, J., Horton, S., MacDonald, D., & Wilkes, S. (2009). The benefits of sampling sports during childhood. Physical & Health Education Journal, 74(4), 6-11. Retrieved from https:// journal.phecanada.ca/ DiFiori, J. P., Benjamin, H. J., Brenner, J. S., Gregory, A., Jayanthi, N., Landry, G. L., & Luke, A. (2014). Overuse injuries and burnout in youth sports: a position statement from the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine. Br J Sports Med, 48(4), 287-288. Dimech, A., & Seiler, R. (2011). Extracurricular sport participation: A potential buffer against social anxiety symptoms in primary

school children. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 12(4), 347–354. doi:10.1016/j.psychsport.2011.03.007 Ferguson, B., & Stern, P. J. (2014). A case of early sports specialization in an adolescent athlete. The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association, 58(4), 377-383. Retrieved from https://www.chiropractic.ca/jcca-online/ Goodger, K., Gorely, T., Lavallee, D., & Harwood, C. (2007). Burnout in sport: A systematic review. The Sport Psychologist. 21(2),127-151. doi:10.1123/tsp.21.2.127 Goodger, K., Wolfenden, L., & Lavallee, D. (2007). Symptoms and consequences associated with three dimensions of burnout in junior tennis players. International Journal of Sport Psychology. 38(4), 342-344. Jewett, R., Sabiston, C. M., Brunet, J., O’Loughlin, E. K., Scarapicchia, T., & O’Loughlin, J. (2014). School sport participation during adolescence and mental health in early adulthood. Journal of adolescent health, 55(5), 640-644. Myer, G. D., Jayanthi, N., Difiori, J. P., Faigenbaum, A. D., Kiefer, A. W., Logerstedt, D., & Micheli, L. J. (2015). Sport specialization, part I: Does early sports specialization increase negative outcomes and reduce the opportunity for success in young athletes? Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach, 7(5), 437–442. doi:10.1177/1941738115598747 Newton, M., Duda, J. L., & Yin, Z. (2000). Examination of the psychometric properties of the perceived motivational climate in sport questionnaire-2 in a sample of female athletes.

Journal of Sports Sciences, 18, 275–290. doi:10.1080/026404100365018 Pedersen S, & Siedman, E. (2004). Team sports achievement and self-esteem development among urban adolescent girls. Psychology of Women Quarterly. 28(4), 412–422. doi:10.1111/j.1471-6402.2004.00158.x Pynn, S. R., Dunn, J. G., & Holt, N. L. (2018). A qualitative study of exemplary parenting in competitive female youth team sport. Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, 7(1), 1-16. doi:10.1037/spy0000141 Reinboth, M., & Duda, J. L. (2006). Perceived motivational climate, need satisfaction and indices of well-being in team sports: A longitudinal perspective. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 7, 269–286. doi:10.1016/j. psychsport.2005.06.002 Russell, W. D., & Limle, A. N. (2013). The relationship between youth sport specialization and involvement in sport and physical activity in young adulthood. Journal of Sport Behavior, 36(1). Strachan, L., Côté, J., & Deakin, J. (2009). “Specializers” versus “samplers” in youth sport: Comparing experiences and outcomes. The Sport Psychologist, 23(1), 77-92. doi:10.1123/ tsp.23.1.77 Van de Pol, P. K., Kavussanu, M., & Ring, C. (2012). Goal orientations, perceived motivational climate, and motivational outcomes in football: A comparison between training and competition contexts. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 13, 491–499. doi:10.1016/j.psychsport.2011.12.002

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CALIFORNIA PARKS & RECREATION • WINTER 2021

Charles Foley

Vice President chuck@hailandarch.com www.hailandarch.com

R E S E A R C H

R E V I E W

Thru-Hiker and Land Manager Experiences on the PCT: Implications for Local Parks and Open Spaces

2,650 miles of experiences. 2,650 miles of hardships and joy. We want to share the 2,650 miles worth of stories told Researchers: June Murray, Dr. Marni Goldenberg, Dr. Keri Schwab, Terra Bilhorn California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo

by thru-hikers of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail (PCT), from losing a cell phone in a river crossing to the sheer joy of Shasta Cola and everything in-between. We want to share what we have learned from these individuals with the intention that some of their knowledge will benefit the greater outdoor recreation community and use of public open spaces.

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CALIFORNIA PARKS & RECREATION • WINTER 2021

Research Review u

ver the past year and a half, we conducted a study titled, “An Examination of Pacific Crest Trail Land Managers and ThruHikers,” with funding from USDA McIntire-Stennis and the CSU Agriculture Research Initiative. The research was conducted by faculty and students at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. This study focused on the experiences of thru-hikers and California land managers along the PCT in relation to the dramatic increase of hiking permits issued by the PCTA (Pacific Crest Trail Association) and an increase in (self-recorded) trail completions. This increase in popularity of the trail closely mirrored the release of, “Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail”, a best-selling memoir that documents Cheryl Strayed’s 1,100-mile solo hike along the PCT. According to selfreported data, the biggest jump in trail completions took place between 2015 and 2016, which coincides with the 2014 release of the movie adaptation “Wild”. Though there is not definitive proof as to what caused the increase in thru-hiking, we found it safe to assume that an increase in awareness in mainstream media aided in the trail becoming more popular, accessible, and known to people outside of the “hiking community”. Although getting more people outside and active is a wonderful thing, there are, unfortunately, many potential drawbacks, such as trail degradation, overcrowding, or just a decrease in the quality of the experience for people on the trail. We wanted to provide land managers with information and recommendations to best maintain hiker and public land user experiences, as well as ways to preserve natural environments amidst an increase of demand for usage. We believe that this research, which consisted of interviewing thru-hikers and California public land managers, will provide valuable information that can not only be applied to the PCT but also towards state and locally run parks and open spaces. This information includes topics such as the tendencies of weekenders and day use visitors, the dissemination of Leave No Trace education, rule and 38

regulation enforcement, and the importance of signage.

Tendencies of Weekenders

As the Pacific Crest Trail is 2,650 miles long, naturally, not everyone can or wants to complete it. The trail though, is still accessible to day hikers or weekenders for recreation purposes and is thoroughly utilized. Some sections see much more foot traffic than others and this impact can be seen through the amount of waste/trash left behind. Hiker #6 from our study stated, “Yeah I think that honestly in areas that were more accessible just broadly to people who aren’t necessarily thru- hiking the trail, there definitely was more trash.” This sentiment was common from thru-hikers, with 48% reporting that in most cases, they thought the trash left along the trail belonged to weekenders or day-users. This waste being left behind by weekenders and part-time visitors reflects a lack of ownership or place attachment for the area. This trend may manifest itself in state, local, and municipal parks in that those areas see large amounts of visitors, many of whom do not live in the surrounding area or do not visit the park frequently. This lack of ownership, as demonstrated on the PCT, results in waste left behind, which detracts from the beauty of the area and the experi-

ence of the users. To combat this in parks, developing a sense of place or providing an outlet for visitors to feel a sense of ownership, regardless of the amount of time spent in or around the park, would prove beneficial. A possible suggestion might be using social media with a photo contest or a trash pick-up contest. These events can be ongoing to create a sense of attachment and ownership to the location.

Leave No Trace Education

When asked about what education thru-hikers thought needed to be provided prior to heading out on the trail, 56% mentioned that Leave No Trace (LNT) education should be provided to thru and day hikers. LNT provides basic guiding principles for caring for the land. Hikers in our study tried to share LNT knowledge with other hikers, and mentioned discussing LNT principles with day-hikers and weekenders along the trail, as well as with other thru-hikers. They also indicated there was a need for increased LNT education for all users. Hiker #25 stated, “I mean, I understand the limited resources of both the PCTA and the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, all of these agencies who share custody of the trail. But I would say there has to be some... measure to ensure that people are at least prepared

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Research Review u

enough in Leave No Trace that the impact will be mitigated.” One hiker suggested a LNT ambassador program along the trail, which could also apply to public parks. This ambassador program would train or certify volunteers in the LNT principles, and volunteers would then help educate people recreating on public lands. Such a program like this, especially among a younger generation, would help further educate park users as to LNT principles. By starting with a younger generation being ambassadors, good practices are instilled at a young age, which may evolve into adulthood. The ambassador training could be done through a summer camp or weekend activity. This would get kids out of the house and into outdoor spaces to learn how to best preserve these spaces and how to enjoy them respectfully and mindfully. Our study showed that LNT knowledge needs to be more widespread. The ambassador program is one way to share the information, however we 40

acknowledge, maybe not the most efficient or accessible. Simpler ways to further disseminate LNT information could be to include it on park websites, social media accounts, or signage in the parks, such as near entrances/exits, restrooms, or parking areas. It is hard to enforce if people read signs, but at least the information is there for those interested. Another possibility is having games or activities for kids and families to participate in that involve the Leave No Trace principles, such as providing coloring books, collecting stamps upon learning the seven different aspects, or fun interactive signs with LNT principles throughout the park.

Rule and Regulation Enforcement

Unsurprisingly, it is near impossible to enforce all the rules and regulations along the PCT, being that it is 2,650 miles long, runs through many different land management jurisdictions, and those jurisdictions have limited budgets. That does not mean that the

trail is a chaotic mess though. Hikers reported substantial amounts of selfenforcement of rules, meaning they felt a sense of ownership of the trail and understood that following the rules was necessary for the good of the trail. “Do I think the rules of the trail are being enforced? No, I think it’s largely the trail is self-enforcement. There’s too many miles and too much area for any Rangers to monitor closely. I think the trail is reliant on people’s self-behavior. That’s really the only mechanism.,” Hiker #1 said. There is a demonstrated understanding that the only route to protection is through user behavior. Hikers also reported social enforcement and pressure along the trail where the population holds each other accountable to meet the norms and standards on the trail. About twothirds of hikers noted that they felt that there was a lack of enforcement from land management agencies along the trail, prompting Hiker #14 to state, “In terms of actual authority, there’s not that much. You have to take the Leave No Trace course when you get your PCT permit, and then it’s kind of just expected that you’ll follow them accordingly, which most people do.” The struggle of underfunding and limited enforcement resources is a familiar one to state and local parks. Much like the PCT, enforcement takes many forms to fill the lack of employed enforcement. To remedy this, doing things such as increasing volunteerism, partnering with local schools and making student ambassador programs, or creating internship programs in the parks could be of benefit for public education. These programs, volunteers, and partnerships can educate others, which can lead to social enforcement between individuals and groups. If visitors understand how to respectfully exist in outdoor spaces, then the need for enforcement is less and agencies running these spaces scope of responsibility would not be nearly as wide.

Signage

Signage was not an issue for most hikers, with many stating that the trail needs no additional signage or that, overall, it was well marked. Hikers

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u Research Review noted seeing signs for directions and rules, as well as hiker-made signs in the form of stick arrows on the ground, or sharpie on existing signs. Some hikers also noted seeing vandalism, and the need more or better signage. Additionally, many individuals stated using apps or other navigational technology to way-find along the trail. “I was super reliant on apps and really having all the information and … I imagine that there were probably times when a sign didn’t provide information about where to go and then we looked at the app instead,” stated Hiker #5. This use of technology, however, should not discredit how important signage is and can be in outdoor spaces. To best utilize signage for safety and educational purposes, it should be reviewed frequently by rangers or park staff to ensure the best possible information is provided and that the sign itself is not damaged or missing. To further adapt to modern uses of technology for navigational assistance, providing a scannable QR code on signs that links to more information or maps of the area would be effective in promoting safety and education in local parks and open spaces. Signage should not be excessive but should instead be accessible when and where it is needed, providing visitors with all necessary information to travel and recreate responsibly in the area.

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Conclusion

2,650 miles. 2,650 miles full of opportunity. Opportunity for growth and learning, for experiences and stories. These stories from hikers and managers on the California section of the 2,650 miles of the PCT have driven our findings and recommendations. From sharing about the tendencies of weekend visitors, to LNT education, rule enforcement and signage, their thoughts and experiences can benefit outdoor recreation in many forms. We plan to continue our study to find what more can be derived from the Pacific Crest Trail and applied to state and locally run parks and outdoor spaces. 2,650 miles is a lot of ground to cover, and we’re just getting started.

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The following agencies, companies and universities have completed the Parks Make Life Better!® logo policy/agreement application. They are using the logo in their marketing efforts, using the key messages in their promotions and are living the brand promise. Now is the time for you to join the Parks Make Life Better!® branding compaign. Please visit the CPRS Web site (www.cprs.org) and click on the Parks Make Life Better!® logo on the home page for more information on the campaign. California Agency City of Agoura Hills City of Alameda City of Albany City of Alhambra City of Aliso Viejo Aliso Viejo Community Association Ambrose Recreation & Park District City of American Canyon City of Anaheim City of Anderson City of Antioch Town of Apple Valley Arcade Creek Recreation and Park District City of Arcata Arden Manor Recreation & Park District Arden Park Recreation & Park District City of Arroyo Grande City of Artesia City of Atascadero City of Atwater Auburn Area Recreation and Park District City of Azusa City of Bakersfield City of Baldwin Park City fo Banning Beaumont Cherry Valley Recreation & Parks District City of Bell City of Bell Gardens City of Bellflower City of Belmont Belvedere Tiburon Joint Recreation City of Benicia City of Berkeley City of Beverly Hills City of Bishop City of Blue Lake Boulder Creek Recreation & Park District City of Brawley City of Brea City of Brentwood City of Brisbane City of Buena Park City of Burbank City of Burlingame Buttonwillow Recreation & Park District City of Calabasas City of California City California State Parks City of Calistoga Cameron Park Comm. Svcs. District

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u Parks Make Life Better!® Town of Moraga City of Moreno Valley City of Morgan Hill Mt. Shasta Recreation & Parks District City of Mountain View City of Murrieta City of Napa City of National City Navy Region South West City of Nevada City City of Newark City of Newport Beach City of Norco North County Recreation & Park District North Highlands Recreation & Park District North of the River Recreation & Park District North Tahoe Public Utility District City of Norwalk City of Novato City of Oakland City of Oakley City of Oceanside City of Ojai City of Ontario City of Orange Orangevale Recreation & Park District City of Orinda City of Pacifica City of Palmdale City of Palm Springs City of Palo Alto Paradise Recreation & Park District City of Pasadena Human Services & Recreation City of Pasadena Parks & Natural Resources City of Paso Robles City of Patterson City of Perris City of Petaluma City of Pico Rivera City of Pinole City of Pismo Beach City of Pittsburg County of Placer City of Placerville Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District Pleasant Valley Recreation & Park District City of Pleasanton City of Pomona City of Port Hueneme City of Porterville City of Poway City of Rancho Cucamonga Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District City of Redding City of Redondo Beach City of Redwood City City of Reedley City of Rialto City of Richmond

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City of Olivette, Missouri New Haven-Adams Township, Indiana Noblesville Parks & Recreation, Indiana City of Shelbyville, Indiana City of South Bend, Indiana Washington Township, Ohio Company Alfa Products All About Play/Little Tikes Commercial - Nor Cal Buell Recreation California’s Great America Callander Associates Capitol Enterprises Inc. Columbia Cascade Company Community Works Design Group David Evans and Assoc. Inc. David Volz Design Landscape Architects, Inc. Firma Design Group Friends of Rockhaven Goric Marketing Group USA The HLA Group, Landscape Architects & Planners Innovative Playgrounds Company KPCRadio.Com Land Concern Ltd Leader Manufacturing, Inc./Fairweather Site Furnishings Division Maximum Solutions, Inc. Melton Design Group Murdock-Super Secur National Academy of Athletics National Parks Promotion Council NLM Consulting Services Nuvis Landscape Architecture PlayCore PlaySafe, LLC Play Smart Surfacing Play-Well TEKnologies Poimiroo & Partners Public Restroom Company Recreation Republic RHA Landscape Architects Planners, Inc. RJM Design Group, Inc. Robertson Industries, Inc. Schmidt Design Group Shade Structures Southern California Municipal Athletic Federation SpectraTurf SSA Landscape Architects, Inc. Stone Soul Music StructureCast Sybertech Waste Reduction Ltd. Tri Active America Western Wood Preservers Institute Windsor Parks-Recreation Foundation Verde Design, Inc. Vermont Recreation & Parks Association University/College CSU Long Beach CSU Northridge San Jose State University SDSU MOVE

CALIFORNIA 43 CALIFORNIA PARKS PARKS & RECREATION & RECREATION • WINTER • WINTER 2021 2021 SPRING 2017 • CALIFORNIA PARKS & RECREATION 43

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p. 3

p. 2

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p. 28

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p. 19

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p. 31

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p. 29

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p. 37

p. 56

Verde Design 408-985-7200 www.verdedesigninc.com

p. 47

p. 50

Water Odyssey by Fountain People. Inc. 512-392-1155 www.waterodyssey.com p. 4

Jones & Madhaven 805-777-8449 www.jmae.com

Lincoln Aquatics 800-223-5450 www.lincolnaquatics.com

Nuvis 714-754-7311 www.nuvis.net

Pilot Rock 800-762-5002 www.pilotrock.com

Public Restroom 888-888-2060 www.publicrestroomcompany.com p. 53

CALIFORNIA PARKS & RECREATION • WINTER 2021

Company Members through January 15, 2021

A-G Sod Farms, Inc. (951) 687-7581 www.agsod.com 2900 Adams St., Ste. C-120, Riverside, CA 92504 SERVICE: Five farms in California & Colorado producing high quality sod for sports fields and parks. Abey Arnold Associates (415) 258-9580 www.abeyarnold.com 1005 A Street, Suite 305, San Rafael, CA 94901 SERVICE: Landscape Architecture. American Solutions for Business (714) 504-2274 www.pmlbstore.com 400 Princeland Ct, Unit #1, Corona, CA 92879-1341 SERVICE: Providers of printed documents, promotional products, corporate logo apparel, brochures, uniforms, stationery, catalogs, forms. Aqua Body Strong Water Fitness (949) 395-2878 www.aquabodystrong.com 28101 Paseo Azteca, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675 SERVICE: Creator of unique aquatic fitness equipment, workouts, and certification that promote health, selfesteem and community. Aqua Source (209) 745-6401 www.aquasource.com P.O. Box 1146, Galt, CA 95632 SERVICE: Commercial swimming pool equipment, automated chemical & filtration systems, commercial pool vacuums, heaters, deck equipment.

Aquatic Design Group (760) 438-8400 www.aquaticdesigngroup.com 2226 Faraday Avenue, Carlsbad, CA 92008 SERVICE: Programming, planning, design and engineering services for competition, recreation, and leisure aquatic facilities. Arch Pac, Inc. (760) 734-1600 www.archpac.com 1341 Distribution Way Suite 11, Vista, CA 92081 SERVICE: Consulting Architects, Landscape Architects, Engineers, & Planners specializing in aquatics, pools, and associated architecture. Architerra Design Group, Inc. (909) 484-2800 www.architerradesigngroup.com 10221-A Trademark Street, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730 SERVICE: Landscape architecture and site planning: new and renovated parks, streetscapes, community gardens, nature parks, trails. BCI Burke Co, LLC (920) 933-6711 www.bciburke.com P.O. Box 549, Fond Du Lac, WI 54936 SERVICE: BCI Burke has been manufacturing high-quality and innovative playground equipment for 95 years. Berliner Seilfabrik Play Equipment Corporation (864) 627-1092 www.berliner-playequipment.com 96 Brookfield Oaks Dr. Suite 140, Greenville, SC 29607 SERVICE: State of the art play structures from the world’s leader in net climbing playground equipment.

BFS Landscape Architects (831) 646-1383 www.bfsla.com 425 Pacific Street, Suite 201, Monterey, CA 93940 SERVICE: Parks, trails and open space planning; design for healthy and sustainable communities. BMLA Landscape Architecture (951) 737-1124 www.bmla.net 310 North Joy Street, Corona, CA 92879 SERVICE: BMLA Landscape Architecture - Designs that build lasting communities. California Dinner Adventure (714) 690-1497 http://www.piratesdinneradventure. com 7600 Beach Blvd., Buena Park, CA 90620 SERVICE: Restaurant and show with pirates theme. California Land Management (650) 322-1181 www.clm-services.com 675 Gilman Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301-2528 SERVICE: Provides professional park management, security, maintenance, ranger patrol & related services. California’s Great America (408) 986-5947 www.cagreatamerica.com 2401 Agnew Road, Santa Clara, CA 95054 SERVICE: Theme Park that offers exclusive rates for visits & events. Camp Doc (734) 619-8300 https://www.campdoc.com/ 4750 Venture Drive, Suite 101, Ann Arbor, MI 48108 SERVICE: The leading electronic health record system for camps, offering free online registration and more.

CivicRec (888) 228-2233 www.civicrec.com 302 S. 4th Street, Suite #500, Manhattan, KS 66502 SERVICE: Recreation Software built specifically for local government so you can grow memberships, participants and activities. Coast Recreation Inc. (714) 619-0100 www.coastrecreation.com 3151 Airway Avenue, Suite A-3, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 SERVICE: Representing Landscape Structures play equipment, DuMor site furniture, and Surface America in Southern California. Columbia Cascade Company (503) 223-1157 www.timberform.com PO Box 1039, Camas, WA 98607-0039 SERVICE: TimberForm and PipeLine playground and outdoor fitness equipment, TimberForm site furnishings and CycLoops & CycLocker bicycle security products. Combitile Pty Ltd +61 416 268896 http://combitile.com/ 241/1 Hewstead Tce, Newstead, QLD, 4006 SERVICE: Surfacing materials playgrounds - dry - aquatic - critical fall height. Community Works Design Group (951) 369-0700 www.comworksdg.com 4649 Brockton Avenue, Riverside, CA 92506 SERVICE: Your source for creative park planning, landscape architecture, irrigation design, and CASp/ADA services.

WINTER 2021 • CALIFORNIA PARKS & RECREATION

u Buyer’s Guide Counsilman-Hunsaker (310) 734-2282 www.chh2o.com 10733 Sunset Office Drive, Suite 400, Saint Louis, MO 63127 SERVICES: Aquatic design, engineering, and operation services. Crane Architectural Group (714) 525-0363 www.cranearchitecturalgrp.com 110 E Wilshire Ave # 300, Fullerton, CA 92832-1934 SERVICE: Architectural services - community centers, senior centers, sports complexes, concession stands, park restrooms, ADA improvements. Dahlin Group Architecture Planning (925) 251-7200 www.dahlingroup.com 5865 Owens Drive, Pleasanton, CA 94588 SERVICE: Architectural and planning services with a passion for placemaking, including community, senior, recreation, and aquatic centers. Dave Bang Associates, Inc. (800) 669-2585 www.davebang.com P.O. Box 1088, Tustin, CA 92781 SERVICE: Suppliers of high-quality park, playground, athletic equipment, & site equipment since 1979. David Evans and Assoc. Inc. (909) 481-5750 www.deainc.com 4141 E. Inland Empire Blvd. Suite 250, Ontario, CA 91764 SERVICE: Multidisciplinary firm specializing in landscape architecture, civil, and transportation engineering, surveying, and construction management. David Volz Design Landscape Architects, Inc. (714) 641-1300 www.dvolzdesign.com 151 Kalmus Drive, Suite M-8, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 SERVICE: Award winning park planners and sports facility experts! DVD provides assistance with project planning budgets.

EcoFert, Inc (714) 580-4659 www.ecofert.org 1237 S. Wright Street, Santa Ana, CA 92705 SERVICE: Landscape care solutions through a full service program utilizing organic based amendments applied through fertigation systems. ELS Architecture and Urban Design (510) 549-2929 https://elsarch.com/ 2040 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA 94704 SERVICE: Architecture and planning services for sports/recreation/aquatics, education, theaters/performing arts, mixed-use, historic renovations, and urban design. ExoFit Outdoor Fitness (800) 527-0797 www.exo.fit 1694 NW 82nd Ave, Miami, FL 33126 Service: ExoFit is a leader in designing and installing outdoor fitness gyms.

Designing Outstanding Facilities For Community Recreation

First Service Residential (949) 448-6042 15241 Laguna Canyon Road, Irvine, CA 92618 SERVICE: Residential property management company dedicated to providing excellent service and happy and healthy lifestyles. FirstService Residential (949) 338-1908 LaderaLife.com 28192 O’Neill Drive, Ladera Ranch, CA 92694 SERVICE: Property Management company offering recreation and community services to residents living within the property. Flexground (916) 275-3588 www.flexground.com 2029 Opportunity Drive, #3, Roseville, CA 95678 SERVICE: FlexGround is the premier provider of rubberized poured in place and recreation surfacing.

CALIFORNIA PARKS & RECREATION • WINTER 2021

Buyer’s Guide u Fun Express, LLC (800) 228-2003 www.funexpress.com/corporate 4206 S. 108th Street, Omaha, NE 68137 SERVICE: Crafts, art supplies, educational items, active play, camp, and seasonal items at discounted prices.

Great Western Recreation (435) 245-5055 www.gwpark.com 975 S. State Hwy 89, Logan, UT 84321 SERVICE: Turnkey design-build firm providing playgrounds, shade/shelters, surfacing, site amenities, splash pads, beachers, etc.

G & G Builders Inc (925) 580-8385 https://www.ggbuildersinc.com/ 4542 Contractors Place, Livermore, CA 94551 SERVICE: General Contractor

Greenfields Outdoor Fitness (888) 315-9037 www.greenfieldsfitness.com 2617 West Woodland Drive, Anaheim, CA 92801 SERVICE: Outdoor fitness equipment.

Gates & Associates (925) 736-8176 www.dgates.com 2671 Crow Canyon Road, San Ramon, CA 94583 SERVICE: Landscape Architecture.

Gro-Power, Inc. (909) 393-3744 www.gropower.com 15065 Telephone Avenue, Chino, CA 91710 SERVICE: Go “green” with Gro-Power products. They’re safe for the environment and naturally conserve water.

Glass Architects (707) 544-3920 www.glassarchitects.com 200 E Street, #100, Santa Rosa, CA 95404 SERVICE: Architectural design and master planning. Specializing in indoor and outdoor aquatic, community and recreational facilities. Goals Soccer Centers (626) 484-4966 www.goals-soccer.com 9599 Pinehurst Avenue, South Gate, CA 90280 SERVICE: Develop and operate small size fields soccer centers offering leagues, clinics tournaments, concessions, and events. Gold Bug Park and Mine (530) 642-5207 www.goldbugpark.org 2635 Gold Bug Lane, Placerville, CA 95667 SERVICE: Gold Bug Park is Gold Rush History! Offering mine tours, gem panning, blacksmith, stamp mill, museum, and hiking trails.

Group 4 Architecture Research + Planning, Inc. (650) 871-0709 www.g4arch.com 211 Linden Ave, South San Francisco, CA 94080 SERVICE: Architectural, research, and planning services. GSM Landscape Architects, Inc. (707) 255-4630 www.gsmlainc.com 1700 Soscol Avenue, Suite 23, Napa, CA 94559 SERVICE: Award winning landscape architectural design for parks, sports fields, recreational, and educational facilities throughout California. HAI, Hirsch & Associates, Inc. (714) 776-4340 www.hailandarch.com 2221 E. Winston Rd. #A, Anaheim, CA 92806 SERVICE: Landscape architecture, park planning, master plans, sports facilities, redevelopment, & public work projects.

Harris Design (510) 647-3792 www.hd-la.com 755 Folger Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94710 SERVICE: Creative, community-based planning & design from concept through construction. Parks, trails, master plans, sports facilities, open space.

Innovative Playgrounds Company (877) 732-5200 www.innovplay.com 12407 East Slauson Avenue, Unit D, Whittier, CA 90606 SERVICE: Sales, designs, and project management for BCI Burke playground equipment, safety surfacing, shade structures, and fitness/sport/site amenities.

Hermann Design Group, Inc. (760) 777-9131 www.hermanndesigngroup.com 77899 Wolf Road, Ste.102, Palm Desert, CA 92211 SERVICE: Landscape architecture, planning, and project management for community parks, sports parks, and dog parks.

Inspector Playground (888) 293-7889 http://www.inspectorplayground.com P.O. BOX 16654, Encino, CA 914166654 SERVICE: Independent inspector, surface impact testing with Triax, early childhood certified, playground inspections, compliance certificates, insured.

The HLA Group Landscape Architects & Planners, Inc. (916) 447-7400 www.hlagroup.com 301 University Avenue, Suite 110, Sacramento, CA 95825 SERVICE: Landscape architecture and planning emphasizing parks and recreation, urban design, community design, and land planning.

Integra Planning & Landscape Architecture (805) 441-7537 www.integrapla.com 5128 Dupont Drive, Santa Rosa, CA 95409 SERVICE: Planning and landscape architecture design services including parks, aquatic centers and recreation facilities.

Hunter Industries (760) 583-4479 https://www.hunterindustries.com/ 1940 Diamond St. , San Marcos, CA 92078 SERVICE: Irrigation Manufacturer - MP Rotator, Sprays, Rotors, Smart Controllers, Valves, Drip.

JetMulch (866) 306-8524 www.jetmulchinc.com P.O. Box 1667, Capitola, CA 95010 SERVICE: Blown-In Mulch and ASTM certified playground materials.

Imagen (626) 593-9618 www.imagenagency.com 346 W. Foothill Blvd., Monrovia, CA 91016 SERVICE: We are a promotional marketing agency that produces custom branded apparel, promotional products, and print.

Jones & Madhavan (805) 777-8449 www.jmae.com 100 E Thousand Oaks Blvd Ste 211, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360-8134 SERVICE: Planning, architecture, & engineering services for public aquatic facilities. Kay Park-Recreation (319) 987-2313 http://www.kaypark.com/ 1301 Pine Street, Janesville, IA 50647-0477 SERVICE: Manufacture bleachers, picnic tables, grills, fire rings, drinking fountains, bike racks, pedal boats, litter receptacles, outdoor games, & more!

WINTER 2021 • CALIFORNIA PARKS & RECREATION

u Buyer’s Guide Keeper Goals (262) 781-7800 www.keepergoals.com 12400 W Silver Springs Dr., Butler, WI 53007-1003 SERVICE: Manufacturer and distributor of athletic facility equipment including goals, nets, bleachers, windscreens, benches, and shelters. King Plastic Corporation (941) 493-5502 www.kingplastic.com 1100 N. Toledo Blade Blvd, North Port, FL 34288 SERVICE: King Plastic is the leading manufacturer of quality polymer sheets, slabs, and massive shapes. Knorr Systems, Inc. (714) 754-4044 www.knorrsystems.com 2221 S. Standard Ave, Santa Ana, CA 92707 SERVICE: Quality aquatic equipment and services including: water treatment, filtration, recreation, maintenance, service contracts.

KOMPAN Playgrounds (800) 426-9788 www.kompan.com 605 West Howard Lane, Austin, TX 78753 SERVICE: KOMPAN is a world leader in playgroud and outdoor sport & fitness solutions. KTU + A Planning & Landscape Architecture (619) 294-4477 www.ktua.com 3916 Normal Street, San Diego, CA 92103 SERVICE: We Provide Award Winning Landscape Architectural Planning and Design Services for Parks and Recreation Facilities.

KYA (714) 659-6477 www.KYASurfacing.com 1800 East McFadden Ave., Santa Ana, CA 92705 SERVICE: Industry specialist in surface solutions and sustainable plantscapes supported by project management, design, and maintenance services. L.A. Steelcraft Products, a Division of Americana Outdoors (626) 798-7401 www.lasteelcraft.com PO Box 90365, Pasadena, CA 911090365 SERVICE: Equipment Manufacturer Playgrounds, schools, fiberglass tables & benches, court & field equipment, bike racks, flagpoles & site amenities. Landscape Structures, Inc. (763) 972-5200 www.playlsi.com 601 7th Street S, Delano, MN 55328 SERVICE: Commercial playground designer and manufacturer.

CALIFORNIA PARKS & RECREATION • WINTER 2021

LDA Partners, LLP (209) 943-0405 www.ldapartners.com 222 Central Court, Stockton, CA 95204 SERVICE: Architectural services. Lincoln Aquatics (925) 687-9500 http://www.lincolnaquatics.com 2051 Commerce Avenue, Concord, CA 94520 SERVICE: Distributors of commercial swimming pool equipment, chemicals, and aquatic supplies since 1954. LPA, Inc. (408) 780-7203 www.lpainc.com 60 South Market Street, Suite 150, San Jose, CA 95113 SERVICE: Sustainable design solutions in architecture, landscape architecture, and engineering for community centers, aquatics, and parks.

Buyer’s Guide u Mack5 (510) 595-3020 www.mack5.com 1900 Powell Street Suite 470, Emeryville, CA 94608 Service: Project/Construction management and cost planning/estimating services for park & recreation capital projects. Melton Design Group (530) 899-1616 www.meltondg.com 820 Broadway Street, Chico, CA 95928 SERVICE: Landscape architecture, providing design services for parks, sports complexes, skateparks, & masterplans. We focus on providing personal service. MIG, Inc. (510) 845-7549 www.migcom.com 800 Hearst Ave., Berkeley, CA 94710 SERVICE: Landscape architecture, architecture and recreation and environmental planning for parks, open space, museums, zoos, and the public realm.

Miracle Playground Sales/Miracle Recreation (800) 264-7225 www.miracleplayground.com 9106 Pulsar Ct, Ste C, Corona, CA 92883-4632 SERVICE: Innovative playground equipment, playground safety surfacing; park shelters & gazebos; tables, benches & athletic equipment & splashpads. Miracle Playsystems Inc. (800) 879-7730 www.MiraclePlayGroup.com PO Box 263, Alamo, CA 94507 SERVICE: Play equipment design, distribution, and specialty contracting firm serving all of central and Northern California.

Most Dependable Fountains, Inc. (800) 552-6331 www.mostdependable.com 5705 Commander Dr., Arlington, TN 38002-0587 SERVICE: Outdoor drinking fountains, pet fountains, showers, misters, play towers, hydrants, jug fillers, handwash stations, & grills. MRC (800) 922-0070 www.mrcrec.com 505 Montgomery St, Ste 1100, San Francisco, CA 94111 SERVICE: Leading supplier of playground, park, recreation, fitness and sport equipment; site amenities and surfacing. Musco Sports Lighting (949) 754-0503 www.musco.com 3002 Dow Avenue, Suite 504, Tustin, CA 92780 SERVICE: Providing sports lighting solutions for your budget, for the environment.

My Bark Co., Inc. (209) 786-4042 www.mybark.net P.O. Box 932, Linden, CA 95236 SERVICE: ReadyPlay, EWF from virgin forest wood, bark products, colored enhanced mulches, and soil amendments. National Academy of Athletics (707) 541-2365 www.NationalAcademyofAthletics.com 1260 North Dutton Suite 243B, Santa Rosa, CA 95401 SERVICE: Year round Sports Camps and Clinics offering 8 different sports for players, coaches, and parents. NGI Sports a Division of River City Athletics (775) 544-6306 www.ngisports.com 2807 Walker Road, Chattanooga, TN 37421 SERVICE: NGI Sports’ tennis and track surfaces=guaranteed solutions. We specialize in innovations for sports construction.

Enjoy the Outdoors ...with Pilot Rock Site Products Across our different product lines we offer hundreds of choices in style, size, features, materials and colors. Commercial quality products able to withstand years of use and exposure. Made in the USA since 1959.

RJ Thomas Mfg. Co., Inc. • Cherokee, Iowa • 800-762-5002 • customerservice@rjthomas.com • pilotrock.com

Benches • Picnic Tables • Trash Receptacles • Bear Resistant • Bike Racks • Custom Signs • Site Amenities • Charcoal Grills • Campfire Rings

WINTER 2021 • CALIFORNIA PARKS & RECREATION

u Buyer’s Guide Noll & Tam Architects (510) 649-8295 www.nollandtam.com 729 Heinz Avenue, Suite 7, Berkeley, CA 94710 SERVICE: Architectural design, programming, and planning for recreation/ community/senior centers and other civic buildings.

O’Dell Engineering (209) 571-1765 x102 www.odellengineering.com 1165 Scenic Drive, Suite B, Modesto, CA 95350 SERVICE: Multi-disciplinary firm providing landscape architecture, civil engineering, land surveying, and 3D laser scanning.

NUVIS (714) 754-7311 www.nuvis.net 3151 Airway Avenue, Suite J-3, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 SERVICE: NUVIS landscape architecture - over 40 years of design solutions for people, environments, and experiences worldwide.

Opti-Fit International Inc. (916) 939-3690 www.opti-fit.com P.O. Box 6716, Folsom, CA 95763 SERVICE: Opti-Fit Inc. is your one stop total fitness solution. Planning, design, supply, and service. ORTCO, Inc. (714) 998-3998 www.ortcoplays.com 2163 N. Glassell Street, Orange, CA 92865-3307 SERVICE: We install playground equipment, shelters, & safety surfacing.

Outdoor Creations, Inc. (530) 365-6106 www.outdoorcreations.com 2270 Barney Rd., Anderson, CA 96007 SERVICE: Precast concrete site furnishings, includes picnic tables, benches, BBQs, fire pits, planters, signs, and concrete products for outdoor use. Pacific Park and Playground, Inc. (714) 846-4885 www.PacParkPlay.com 3640 N Pankratz Way, Meridian, ID 83646-6866 SERVICE: Providing park and playground products and services to Southern California cities, counties, schools, churches, and others. PDPlay (760) 597-5990 www.PDPLAY.com 2235 Meyers Ave., Escondindo, CA 92029 SERVICE: California manufacturer of commercial play structures, site furnishings, and poured-in-placed rubberized surfacing.

PerfectMind (877) 737-8030 http://www.parks.perfectmind.com 4333 Still Creek Drive, 2nd Floor, Burnaby, BC V5C 6S6 SERVICE: PerfectMind’s parks & recreation management software helps municipalities of all sizes connect with their community. Play & Park Structures (800) 727-1907 www.playandpark.com 544 Chestnut St., Suite 310, Chattanooga, TN 37402 SERVICE: Play & Park delivers a boutique experience with every playground design, from start to finish. PlayCore (423) 425-3168 http://www.playcore.com/ 544 Chestnut St., Chattanooga, TN 37402 SERVICE: PlayCore helps build stronger communities by advancing play and recreation through research, education, partnerships, and products.

BUILDING BRIDGES

Roseville Downtown Bridges www.callanderassociates.com

CALIFORNIA PARKS & RECREATION • WINTER 2021

CPRS 2019 AWARD WINNER Excellence in Design Park Planning

Buyer’s Guide u Playgrounds by Design, Inc. (925) 426-6705 3086 Boardwalk Street, Pleasanton, CA 94588 SERVICE: Park Structures, playground safety, surfacing material, concrete products, site furnishings, bleachers, recycled plastic picnic tables and benches. Murdock Super Secur restrooms and drinking fountains. Playgrounds Unlimited (408) 244-9848 www.playgroundsunlimited.net 980 Memorex Drive, Santa Clara, CA 95050 SERVICE: Construction services; site preparation; play equipment; water play; shade shelter installation; pour-inplace & synthetic turf safety surface.

PlayMax Surfacing, Inc. (951) 250-6039 www.playmaxsurfacing.com 1950 Compton Avenue #111, Corona, CA 92881 SERVICE: Manufacture and install rubber playground safety surfaces and tiles. PlayPower LT Farmington (916) 923-2180 www.littletikescommercial.com 3844 Presidio Street, Sacramento, CA 95838 SERVICE: Accessible outdoor playground equipment including unique theme playscapes and park service equipment.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! FROM ALL OF US AT IPLA!

PlaySafe, LLC (505) 899-9532 www.play-safe.com PO Box 66056, Albuquerque, NM 87193-6056 SERVICE: Playground audits, maintenance training, strategic master plan development, feasibility studies, expert witnesses, & recreation program development. Public Health Advocates (916) 213-6380 www.phadvocates.org 1114 McKenny Court, Folsom, CA 95630 SERVICE: Non-profit research & advocacy fighting obesity and diabetes, leading the statewide complete parks project.

Public Restroom Company (888) 888-2060 www.publicrestroomcompany.com 2587 Business Parkway, Minden, NV 89423 SERVICE: Public Restroom Company is a design build specialist for odor free, vandal resistant, park restroom, and concession buildings. R. E. Schultz Construction, Inc. (714) 649-2627 www.reschultzconstruction.com 1767 N. Batavia Street, Orange, CA 92865 SERVICE: General engineering contractor/playground eq. installation/park rehabs/fitness eq. installation. Site work/concrete/shade shelter installations. R.J. Thomas Mfg. Co./Pilot Rock (800) 762-5002 www.pilotrock.com P.O. Box 946, Cherokee, IA 510120946 SERVICE: Manufacturing and direct sales of park grills, picnic tables, benches, campfire rings, trash receptacle holders, etc. Raging Waters Los Angeles (909) 802-2200 www.ragingwaters.com 111 Raging Waters Drive, San Dimas, CA 91773 SERVICE: Raging Waters Logn Angeles, California’s largest waterpark, announces our newest heart-racing waterslide - Bombs Away! Recreation Management Magazine (847) 963-8740 www.recmanagement.com 50 North Brockway Street Suite 4-11, Palatine, IL 60067 SERVICE: Recreation Management Magazine provides news, trands, and educational information for parks & recreation professinals.

We are proud members and certified CLARB CLIA, RQP and CPRS 52

RecWest Outdoor Products, Inc. (818) 735-3838 www.recwest.com 31316 Via Colinas, #118, Westlake Village, CA 91362 SERVICE: Representing Landscape Structures Inc., DuMor Site Furnishings.

WINTER 2021 • CALIFORNIA PARKS & RECREATION

u Buyer’s Guide RHA Landscape Architects - Planners, Inc. (951) 781-1930 www.rhala.com 6800 Indiana Avenue, Suite 245, Riverside, CA 92506 SERVICE: Park & sports facility planning, LEED certified, water conservation design, community consensus building, park rehabilitation. RJM Design Group, Inc. (949) 493-2600 www.rjmdesigngroup.com 31591 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675 SERVICE: Park and sports facility master planning and design; park and recreation master planning; landscape architecture; LEED Certified; community consensus building.

Robertson Recreational Surfaces (800) 858-0519 www.totturf.com 2414 W 12th Street, Suite 5, Tempe, AZ 85281 SERVICE: Robertson Recreational Surfaces sells, manufactures, and installs resilient rubber safety surfacing, synthetic turf, and accessories. ROMTEC, Inc. (541) 496-3541 www.romtec.com 18240 North Bank Road, Roseburg, OR 97470 SERVICE: Design, build, and install recreational structures ie: restroom buildings,concessions, kiosks, pavilions, storage buildings, gatehouses, cabins, sidewalk restrooms, etc.

Ross Recreation Equipment Company, Inc. (707) 538-3800 www.rossrec.com 100 Brush Creek Road #206, Santa Rosa, CA 95404 SERVICE: 44 years of providing superior recreational & outdoor products and service with attention to quality, safety, and design. Royston, Hanamoto, Alley & Abey (415) 383-7900 www.rhaa.com 225 Miller Avenue, Mill Valley, CA 94941 SERVICE: Landscape architecture, site planning, master planning, urban design, and recreation planning services locally, nationally, and internationally.

CALIFORNIA PARKS & RECREATION • WINTER 2021

RRM Design Group (805) 543-1794 www.rrmdesign.com 3765 South Higuera Street, Suite 102, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 SERVICE: RRM Design Group designs award-winning recreation areas by collaborating with people who use them. RWP Landscape Materials (877) 476-9797 www.rwpmulch.com 1313 E Phillips Blvd, Pomona, CA 91766-5431 SERVICE: RWP FIBER FALL-Impact attenuating and ADA wheelchair accessible engineered wood fibers for playground safety surfacing. S.R.Smith LLC (503) 266-2231 x2278 http://thermalpoolcover.com/ 1017 SW Berg Parkway, Canby, OR 97013 SERVICE: Manufacturer of “EnergySaver” thermal swimming pool covers, storage reels, and automatic re-winders.

Buyer’s Guide u Safe 2 Play - Certified Matters (925) 999-0117 www.PlaygroundSafetyInspections.net 1008 Veterans Court, Martinez, CA 94553 SERVICE: Certified playground safety inspections, safety surface impact testing on playgrounds, & sports fields. SafePark (800) 734-4882 www.SafePark.com 23052 Alcalde Drive, Suite C, Laguna Hills, CA 92653 SERVICE: Playground audits, inspections, Impact Testing-Traix-2010, playground maintenance, repair, complete certified playground refurbishment, and upgrades. Sator Sports, Inc. (888) 887-2867 www.satorsoccer.com 1455 W. 139th St., Gardena, CA 90249 Service: Retailer of top-quality Agora Goals & Equipment. Call for Volume Pricing and free catalog. Schmidt Design Group, Inc. (619) 236-1462 www.schmidtdesign.com 1310 Rosecrans Street, Suite G, San Diego, CA 92106 SERVICE: Landscape architecture, park planning, and design that balances artistic expression with environmental sensitivity. SCI Consulting Group (707) 430-4300 www.sci-cg.com 4745 Mangels Blvd., Fairfield, CA 94534 SERVICE: New revenue feasibility studies, ballot measures, assessment district formations, and administration. Shade ‘N Net (800) 290-3387 www.shade-n-net.com 5711 West Washington, Phoenix, AZ 85043 SERVICE: Tension cable breathable fabric shade structures/vents out heat/88% sun blockage/97% UV ray protection.

SMG Equipment, LLC (253) 350-8803 www.smgequipment.com 2002 West Valley Hwy N. Suite 200, Auburn, WA 98001 SERVICE: World’s leading manufacturer of tools & equipment for the installation and maintenance of synthetic turf and running tracks. SoCal Shade Sails (619) 972-1100 www.shadesails.biz 10449 Roselle St., San Diego, CA 92121 SERVICE: Manufacture and install custom made, commercial grade shade sails, triangles, rectangles, side panels, steel. SofSurfaces Inc. (800) 263-2363 x224 www.sofsurfaces.com 4393 Discovery Line, Petrolia, ON N0N 1R0 SERVICE: Rubber tile solutions for playground, fitness facility, and architectural applications. Spohn Ranch, Inc. Custom Skate Parks (626) 330-5803 www.spohnranch.com 6824 S. Centinela Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90230 SERVICE: Skate park design, construction, operation, and insurance. The leader in responsible skatelite, concrete, and hybrid parks. SSA Landscape Architects, Inc. (831) 459-0455 www.ssala.com 303 Potrero Street, 40-C, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 SERVICE: Award winning parks & recreation master planning, community workshops/consensus building, construction documentation/administration. Standguard Aquatics (844) 651-1990 http://standguardaquatics.com/ 5665 Atlanta Hwy Ste 103-168, Alpharetta, GA 30004 SERVICE: Management solutions for all aquatic facilities and water parks.

Stonehenge Signs (530) 249-6000 www.stonehengesigns.com PO BOX 387, Quincy, CA 95971 SERVICE: Proudly providing world class engraved natural stone signs for park entry monuments since 1978. StructureCast (661) 833-4490 http://www.structurecast.com/ 8261 McCutchen Road, Bakersfield, CA 93311 SERVICE: Precast, pre-engineered restroom, & concession buildings.

TD Sports Group, LLC (714) 315-8061 www.gotdsports.com 150 Lincoln Blvd 104-99, Lincoln, CA 95648 SERVICE: Synthetic sports surfaces specialists. Providing field maintenance and repair services for sports parks. Techline Sports Lighting, LLC (800) 500-3161 www.sportlighting.com 15303 Storm Drive, Austin, TX 78734 SERVICE: LED outdoor sports lighting systems.

Sunnycal Solar Inc. (209) 464-6100 www.ShadeCharger.com 842 E. Highway 88, Jackson, CA 95642 SERVICE: Solar power picnic table for mobile charging and internet with lights and 911 call box.

Tetra Tech, Inc. (949) 809-5042 www.tetratech.com 17885 Von Karman Avenue, Suite 500, Irvine, CA 92614 SERVICE: Tetra Tech is a full-service consulting and engineering firm.

SVA Architects, Inc. (949) 809-3380 www.sva-architects.com 6 Hutton Centre Drive, Suite1150, Santa Ana, CA 92707 SERVICE: SVA Architects is a full-service architectural firm committed to creating sustainable environments for our communities.

TMT Enterprises, Inc. (408) 432-9040 www.tmtenterprises.net 1996 Oakland Road, San Jose, CA 95131 SERVICE: Bulk Material Supplier - baseball surfaces, playground materials, top dress sand, topsoil, soil mixes, decomposed granite, organics.

SyberTech Waste Reduction Ltd. (888) 888-7975 www.swrl.com P.O. Box 3009 - 33191 1st Avenue, Mission, B.C. V2V1G0 SERVICE: Our in-ground trash system, self-watering planters, and other products greatly save operational costs.

TRK Playground Safety, L.L.C. (559) 642-4939 www.trkplay.com 46853 Chukchansi Road, Coarsegold, CA 93614 SERVICE: Statewide; playground audits and inspections; attenuation surface impact testing; playground design; and safety education and awareness.

Synthetic Surfaces, Inc. (908) 233-6803 www.nordot.com P. O. Box 241, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076 SERVICE: NORDOT Adhesive for installing synthetic turf athletic fields, tennis courts, playgrounds, recreational and aquatic surfaces.

Trueline (951) 817-0777 http://gotrueline.com 1651 Market St., Ste B, Corona, CA 92880 SERVICE: Resurfacing of tennis courts, basketball courts, game courts, playgrounds, striping, installation of equipment, and refurbishment.

WINTER 2021 • CALIFORNIA PARKS & RECREATION

u Buyer’s Guide Turf Star, Inc. (800) 585-8001 www.turfstar.com 2438 Radley Court, Hayward, CA 94545 SERVICE: Commercial mowing equipment & irrigation. Urban Design Fencing/Environmental Specialty Products (951) 371-5792 www.environmentalspecialtyproducts.com P.O. Box 77806, Corona, CA 92877 SERVICE: Recycled plastic lumber structural & non-structural decking, fencing, posts, picnic tables etc. USA Shade & Fabric Structures (707) 257-7296 www.usa-shade.com PO Box 3467, Coppell, TX 75019-3406 SERVICE: USA Shade provides shade solutions for everything under the sun! USGreentech (513) 371-5520 www.usgreentech.com 5076 Wooster Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45226 SERVICE: USGreentech provides progressive infills for the synthetic turf market including their products Envirofill and Safeshell.

Waterline Technologies (714) 564-9100 www.waterlinetechnologies.com 620 Santiago Street, Santa Ana, CA 92701 SERVICE: Sales and service for aquatic facilities - chemical delivery West Coast Arborists, Inc. (714) 991-1900 www.wcainc.com 2200 E. Via Burton Street, Anaheim, CA 92806 SERVICE: WCA provides public agencies, school districts, and colleges with urban forestry management and maintenance services. West Coast Turf (760) 340-7300 www.westcoastturf.com P.O. Box 4563, Palm Desert, CA 92261 SERVICE: Growers and installers of premium quality natural turfgrass sod.

Western State Builders (760) 270-8639 www.westernstatebuilder.com 2141 Orange Avenue, Escondido, CA 92029 SERVICE: Playground Installation, shade structure installation, site furnishing installation.

Zamorins Solutions Inc. (515) 778-2677 www.parkzapp.com 5730 NW 4th Ct, Des Moines, IA 50313 SERVICE: Parkzapp is a customizable park inspection application to inspect playgrounds, sports fields, parking lots, sidewalkts etc.

Whitewater West Industries Ltd (604) 273-1068 www.whitewaterwest.com 108-6651 Fraserwood Place, Richmond, BC V6W 1J3 SERVICE: WhiteWater is the global leader in waterpark design, engineering, manufacturing, and installation.

Zasueta Contracting, Inc. (619) 589-0609 www.zasuetacontracting.com P. O. Box 866, Spring Valley, CA 91976 SERVICE: Playground equipment installation.

Who Built Creative Builders Inc. (707) 763-6210 www.whobuilt.biz P.O. Box 1568, Shafter, CA 93263 SERVICE: Installation of play equipment and athletic equipment.

ZGolf Food & Beverage Services, LLC dba Wedgwood Weddings (951) 491-8110, Ex. 326 www.wedgewoodweddings.com 43385 Business Park Drive #210, Temecula, CA 92590 SERVICE: Professional full service food & beverage management and operations with a focus on weddings, special events, and golf course F&B operations.

Verde Design, Inc. (408) 985-7200 www.verdedesigninc.com 2455 the Alameda, Suite 200, Santa Clara, CA 95050 SERVICE: Multi-disciplinary office of landscape architects and civil engineers with a focus on community projects. Vineyard Rock Products (831) 637-6443 www.vineyardrockproducts.com 1781 Limekiln Road, Hollister, CA 95023 SERVICE: Decorative granite products. Water Odyssey By Fountain People, Inc. (512) 392-1155 www.waterodyssey.com P.O. Box 807, 4600 Hwy. 123, San Marcos, TX 78667-0807 SERVICE: Leading manufacturer of aquatic playground and fountain equipment.

CALIFORNIA PARKS & RECREATION • WINTER 2021

Dianne Hoover Retirement Announcement

After 45 years of service in the field of parks and recreation, Dianne Hoover, Certified Recreation and Parks Professional, is retiring to enjoy being an active outdoor participant as much as possible. Dianne has left an indelible mark on the City of Bakersfield as the Director of the City’s Recreation and Parks Department. Arriving in 2005 having served in several leadership positions in the Midwest, Dianne oversaw impressive growth in the ninth-largest

City in California. During her tenure leading the Bakersfield department, 13 new parks have been added, as well as nine additional spray parks, numerous fields have been renovated and new courts and playgrounds have been built as well. These amenities have enhanced recreation opportunities for all citizens. Through her leadership, Bakersfield received national recognition for its naming rights agreements for sports and entertainment facilities. Combined with naming rights, Dianne was able to secure long-term agreements with local youth sports

organizations to maintain and operate sports parks within the City. Bakersfield became the first Recreation and Park agency in California to achieve and maintain Agency Accreditation for 10 years through the National Recreation and Park Association. Additionally, the department received Gold Medal Finalist status in 2009 and in 2014. Dianne’s journey started even before she was aware that fulltime jobs existed in outdoor recreation and parks management. Since she grew up participating in outdoor activities with her brothers, she knew that she could not be tied to a desk for any length of time, so she pursued opportunities that allowed her to make life better for children and families wherever she worked. Dianne embarked on an impressive recreation and parks career that included service and further educa-

CONFLUENCE PARK, PHASE 2 MRCA with the City of Los Angeles, CA

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tion in multiple municipalities in Ohio – including as the Assistant Director/ Superintendent for the Cincinnati Recreation Commission – and in Indiana. She eventually secured two Masters degrees – one in Parks & Recreation Administration from Western Illinois University and one in Public Administration from the University of Dayton. During this past year, she served as President of the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration. When her term began in late 2019, COVID-19 was still unknown in America. Parks became the lifeblood for outdoor opportunities, for people to exercise while social distancing, and as the neighborhood gathering place to check on each other. Parks and recreation staff became essential service providers in offering clean parks, food service to those in need, and expanding into ambassadors promoting safe distancing and wearing masks while in public. As Dianne ends her professional career in parks and recreation, she plans to spend her time in outdoor pursuits and volunteering to assist in making life better for others, wherever that may be.

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President’s Message u Continued from page 6 tions to overall mental and physical health and wellness;

to serve in this capacity. They are available to mentor anyone who seeks advice specific to their situation. They are our ambassadors of hope, resilience and reinvention.

• Politicians and health officials continue to encourage people to safely use our parks and open spaces; and

Innovations for the future

• Residents throughout the country demand our services and consider it as vital.

• COVID has forever changed how we deliver services now and well into the future; and

Create ways for on-going member connections

• We celebrated successes through our #FiveSnaps” campaign. While we highlighted as many as possible, we want to acknowledge everyone who didn’t give up and tried new ways to deliver crucial services.

• We launched a State appointed taskforce to create a process for ongoing member connections and to gather feedback about the future needs of CPRS members in order to help guide our vision: Thanks to the Task Force consisting of Nicole Acquisti, Doug Grove, Adam Chow, Sheila Canzian, Pam Yugar, Teri De Rosier, Zach Tomayo, Mary Elise Councilman, Sue Wipf and John Glaeser for stepping up and reaching out to segments of our membership; and • A “strike team” was formed to help members and agencies facing pandemic-induced challenges for local agencies facing budget-cuts, reorganization or other. An initial team made of Past Presidents include Kevin Miller, Darin Loughery, Pam Yugar, Henry Perezalonso and Michelle Lacy have come together

Foster continual learning for all segments of our membership • COVID chats connected members far and wide throughout the state; • We saw a thirst to learn more about Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) and a desire to become JEDI masters; • Virtual conferences were coordinated that reached far beyond our local audiences. Congratulations to all of you; and • We learned how to deliver our trainings in new ways. We filled the need to refresh and reinvigorate. We embraced the changes.

Domo Arigato

I will soon pass the torch on to the

very capable, Tom Hellmann, whom I couldn’t have asked for a better partner in this journey. As I close this last Presidential message, I look back at how we came together, gave each other hope and showed our resilience during the worst of times. When “the chips were down” we jumped in to support one another. We worked to reinvent what we do/how we do it and we served in sectors that were beyond traditional parks and recreation services. I thank my City of Roseville team for their support during this year including the build-up to this year within the Presidential series. Thank you to Dom Casey, City Manager, Dion Louthan, Assistant City Manager and Jill Geller, Parks, Recreation & Libraries Director. I appreciate my team for allowing me the ability to split my time with the duties at the City and those with CPRS. I thank Stephanie Stephens and her wonderful team for their quality work that keeps CPRS as the leading state agency in the country. I thank the 2020/21 State Board of Directors for their collaboration and dedication to serve our members. Most of all, I thank you, the members of CPRS, for your support and kind words. It’s been an incredible honor to serve you during this EPIC year. May we all be Better Together now and into the future. I am forever grateful. In gratitude, Tara Gee

WINTER 2021 • CALIFORNIA PARKS & RECREATION

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California Parks & Recreation magazine, Winter 2021, Vol. 77, No. 1

Articles inside

RESEARCH REVIEW: THRU-HIKER AND LAND MANAGER EXPERIENC- ES ON THE PACIFIC COAST TRAIL

RESEARCH REVIEW: WHAT EVERY PRACTIONER SHOULD KNOW ABOUT YOUTH SPORTS SPECIALIZATION

CREATING AN INCLUSIVE CULTURE WITHIN YOUR AGENCY

TOP COVID-19 STRATEGIES FOR RECREATION CENTERS