PLAYGROUND MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN TRAINING The two-day Playground Maintenance Technician Training focuses on practical playground maintenance activities, inspection principles and best practices in making repairs. This program does not focus on play theory or memorizing standards.
Participant Benefits
• Learn about materials! Learn how to maintain playground equipment made of metal, plastic, wood and concrete • Learn about safety! Understand how to take damaged equipment out of service safely, keep proper records, and identify potential legal issues related to playground maintenance • Learn about surfaces! Learn how best to maintain unitary and loose-fill surfaces as well as fasteners and connectors • Cost effective! Train front-line maintenance staff at an affordable price • Ensure your equipment lasts through its useful life! Improve playground user safety and prolong the useful life of equipment
Upcoming Playground Maintenance Technician Programs • February 25-26, 2020: Angola, IN – Great Lakes Parks Training Institute • March 26-27, 2020: Berkeley Lake, GA • April 21-22, 2020: Wauwatosa, WI – Cities & Villages Mutual Insurance Company • September 9-10, 2020: Glenwood Springs, C0 (CIRSA members only) • September 21-22, 2020: Wheeling, WV – Oglebay National Training Center • September 23-24, 2020: Gunnison, C0 (CIRSA members only) • September 23-24, 2020: Tennessee Recreation and Park Association
Want to host a PMT program in your area? Contact the Program Coordinator at the Eppley Institute pmt@eppley.org Find out more at
www.playgroundmaintenance.org
Contents
Play and Playground Magazine | Volume 19 No. 4 | Winter 2019
8
Features 8
Why Play Matters
Tips to Having a Quality Recess, No Matter the Weather for a Stronger Tomorrow by Lynn Campanella, IPEMA
12 A Healthy Place by Kent Callison
16 I am an athlete... by Taylor Duncan
12
22 Big Ticket by Sean O'Keefe
26 Scammed? Horrible! Positive Outcome? Absolutely! by Pat Rumbaugh
22 DEPARTMENTS 5
4 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE WINTER 2019
CPSI Course Calendar
www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine
CPSI Course Calendar January 8-10
Landover, MD
301.352.7203
21-23
Phoenix, AZ
azpra.org
27-29
Kearns, UT
801.782.5512
February 19-21
Moon Township, PA
412.262.1703
Your Dog Park Experts! 24-26
Galveston, TX
512.267.5550
26-28
Columbia, TN
615.790.0041
www.dog-on-it-parks.com
1-877-348-3647
March 2-4
Griffin, GA
770.760.1403
2-4
Iowas City, IA
319.351.2738
3-5
Clackamas, OR
503.534.5673
4-6
Newport News, VA
804.730.9447
10-12
Long Beach, CA
916.665.2777
17-19
Bismarck, ND
701.355.4458
17-19
Dover, DE
302.744.2495
24-26
Prospect Heights, IL
708.588.2280
31-2
Casper, WY
307.235.8400
31-2
Hartford, CT
860.721.0384
www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine
WINTER 2019 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 5
Magazine Publisher | Webmaster Jake Amen
Editor Sara Bowersox
Design Jake Amen
Accounting Brad Smith
Contributing Authors Kent Callison Lynn Campanella Taylor Duncan Sean O'Keefe Pat Rumbaugh
Message From the Editor
Sara Bowersox
ANOTHER YEAR is drawing to a close. It’s time to reflect on where we’ve been and plan where we are going. We would remind you that wherever that is, make sure you approach it playfully! Playing, whether free or organized, inside or out, on a playground or in a park, has more benefits than we can count. This issue of Play & Playground Magazine fills you in on lots of those benefits. Lynn Campanella of Playocracy, along with the Voice of Play (IPEMA), reminds us that playing outside is critical even in the wintertime. She gives us some tips for the best ways to do this. Duncan Taylor introduces us to Alternative Baseball© which is opening doors for people on the autism spectrum and raising awareness for everyone! It is time to plan for the USPlay Coalition Conference on the Value of Play: Play for All. The conference will be March 29 - April 1, 2020. Early bird registration is open now. We will keep you updated on the plans and speakers. In addition to articles on the benefits
of play, we also touch on some nuts & bolts of the park and playground industry. Kent Callison of GameTime tells us about a new community park in Memphis. Sean O’Keefe expands our imagination with streams made from stamped concrete around a tidal river. The partnership between Playground Professionals and the NPCAI has entered the next phase with updated Professional Spotlight listings specially designed for members. These are the true nuts and bolts professionals who can help you with your projects. The Play Lady brings it all together for us, telling us how to turn lemons into lemonade and about the importance of policies to your organization. We look forward to bringing you more industry news throughout 2020. Make sure you are subscribed to our weekly newsletter so that you don’t miss a thing! As always, we sure do appreciate our contributors and advertisers. We couldn’t do this without you!
Copyright, 2019 published by Playground Professionals, LLC, 4 issues per year, sub rates, back copies, foreign, reproduction prohibitions, all rights reserved, not responsible for content of ads and submitted materials, mail permits.
CORPORATE OFFICE Playground Professionals LLC P.O. Box 595 Ashton, Idaho 83420
www.playgroundprofessionals.com
6 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE WINTER 2019
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Now recruiting Representative firms!
Join our movement - Come and join a different kind of playground company where our work moves us to create the best park, playground and fitness products in the industry! We have territories available for Representatives with a passion to bring a higher level of play to the communities they serve.
bciburke.com Trademark(s) are the property of BCI Burke Company. Š BCI Burke Company 2018. All Rights Reserved. 800-356-2070
Why Play Matters
Tips to Having a Quality Recess, No Matter the Weather
by Lynn Campanella, IPEMA
PLAY IS CRITICAL for the development of physical, emotional, social and cognitive skills in children. But despite the research of play being a benefit, there has been a decrease in recess over the last 10-20 years, and more of a focus on in-classroom learning. For instance, the 2016 Shape of the Nation Report stated that only 16 percent of states in the U.S. require elementary schools to provide daily recess. And in Canada, games like tag, cartwheels, and balls have been banned at some schools, and 31 percent of schools do not have a daily physical activity (DPA) policy. Not only that, but the Physical Activ-
ity Guidelines for both Americans and Canadians recommend that children get 60 minutes or more of physical activity daily. The fact is, that’s not happening. In the U.S., less than one-quarter (24 percent) of children 6 to 17 years of age participate in 60 minutes of physical activity every day, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And the most recent Canadian Health Measures Survey found that roughly 95 percent of Canadian children do not get the recommended amount.1 But physical activity is important! Not to mention, it’s good for learning. A study by Northeastern University found that daily exercise isn’t only good for kids’ physical health, but for their cogni-
8 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE WINTER 2019
tive health, too. The study showed that 8and 9-year-old children who run around for at least 70 minutes per day exhibit improved thinking skills compared to those who aren’t as active. According to the 2018 survey of 500 U.S. elementary school teachers by the International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association and its Voice of Play initiative, 100 percent of teachers said that recess is essential for young students’ mental and physical development. Some other key findings: • 97 percent said that recess improved the conduct in students who tend to behave badly. • 95 percent said that their students’ social interactions improved when www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine
they played together outside. • After recess, 81 percent of teachers said that kids’ behaviors changed positively. With all of this research, educators and parents are beginning to re-think play and recess during the day and putting it back on the table. In 2018, for instance, more states in the U.S. began reinstating laws to protect recess. Arizona is already seeing results after its governor signed a bill last year that required two recess periods per day for kids. One principal noted he’s seen an improvement in the health of his students and said test scores are up, discipline problems have decreased and attendance has increased. In Canada, over 80 percent of schools now have active periods, and every province in Canada has recess in some part of their school day. Now that lawmakers, educators, and parents have seen the value of recess and activity, students are benefitting. This momentum is great, however – there are many parts of the U.S. and Canada that have inclement weather throughout the year, particularly in the winter, and that www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine
is another roadblock in play access for children. For example, adults just don’t want to go outside. While there are certainly instances where it’s unsafe to play outside, there are many opportunities to have fun on the playground on cold winter days. And for the days you can’t, there are benefits to indoor recess. It doesn’t matter your age, if you go outside (properly dressed for the weather) your mood can be elevated with natural light, stress levels can be reduced and your mind has that break from the classroom setting. If we can remember to view recess through the lens of a child – forgetting about the slight inconvenience to ourselves on a cold day – then it’s truly a win-win. It is wonderful to see students outside at play in the snow! Being physically literate in many different environments, like snow and ice, is part of what keeps us healthy and active. Walking and playing in the snow takes practice, and that opportunity to practice allows us to become proficient and confident in our movements. Developing personal competence and confidence gives us the motivation
to be physically literate for life. As mentioned previously, researchers have found that when students play outside, they experience many benefits. For example, children who play regularly in natural environments show more advanced motor fitness, including coordination, balance and agility, and they are sick less often (Grahn, et al. 1997, Fjortoft & Sageie 2001).
Tips for Creating a Positive Winter Recess Environment Develop a policy and procedures
Creating a tailored policy and the procedures that support it will help to keep everyone out of harm’s way and inform stakeholders (staff, students and parents). To maintain student’s safety during recess, share expectations in different formats to give students many opportunities of understanding (think: verbal reminders, posters and role modeling from your student recess leaders). Communication is key.
WINTER 2019 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 9
Ensure everyone is dressed appropriately
In order to ensure everyone is able to play outside, consider creating an extra bin of winter clothes (such as hats and mittens) for students who do not own them or forget to bring the items from home. Collect donations or purchase some of the items from the local dollar store at an affordable price. And don’t forget there should also be a bin for staff!
Have shareable tips on how to walk in the snow and on ice
Encourage staff and students to choose footwear with winter treads. Avoid shoes with a smooth sole or high heels when walking on snow and ice. If your path looks icy try stepping side to side until you can reach snow or grass. Walk like a penguin if your path is icy. Point your feet outwards and relax your knees. Holding your arms away from your sides to maintain your balance, walk slowly and flatfooted, taking short steps. All of these tips can be captured on whiteboards, posters or even social media throughout the winter months to encourage and reinforce.
Get excited
If winter is not your favorite time of year, fake it! Get excited for the students who need to go outside, keeping in mind
all of the valuable benefits they’re receiving. Sometimes half the battle is just getting there, but once you start playing, their own excitement will take over!
Create zones for snow play
Creating specific zones help to keep specific snow play (like building snow castles) to one area and maintains safety on the playground. Use pylons or natural landmarks to create your zones making it very visible to students and staff where you want specific play to happen.
Have an indoor recess plan
Creating a plan for an indoor recess is just as essential as having a policy and procedures for outdoor recess, and in some cases, it can be more critical. Do not wait until you are dealing with a week of indoor recess days, create a plan that includes the whole school and all grades. Consider developing a chart and the use these topics as headings for your columns: 1. List the Day of the Week from Monday to Friday 2. List the Activities that you can offer during an indoor recess. Be creative and open to some ideas 3. List what Grades will participate in this activity. This is a good time for
10 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE WINTER 2019
peer mentoring and the buddy system by grouping students (for example, students in grade 7 with grade 1) 4. Location: Where can you find space for a class to move around? Sometimes that may mean having to move some furniture to the edge of the room to create that space. Can the library or learning commons work for anyone who would like to sit quietly and read? By creating such a plan, everyone will know that on a rainy or snowy Wednesday, your indoor recess procedure looks like this:
Wednesday Activities
Grades
Location
Active Game
1, 6
Gym
Board games
3, 8
Open Classroom
Video in classroom
2, 4
Classroom
L.E.A.D.er games
5, 7
Open Space
Reading
Anyone
Library
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Play is Essential, No Matter the Weather
A quality recess does so much for children. According to the IPEMA and Voice of Play Recess Survey, the positive changes that the 81 percent of teachers said happens to kids’ behaviors after recess include more positive moods, longer attention spans, fewer behavior issues, increased participation in class, more eagerness to learn, and improved academic performance. It’s a no-brainer how impactful play and activity is for students. And remember if the students are happy, teachers will be as well! Recognizing the need for recess across North America should be a required part of the curriculum, but beyond that, having a policy in place to ensure every recess is a quality one is more important than ever, especially with depression on the rise in U.S. teens. Having a safe and quality space to play will benefit kids for a lifetime. Footnotes
1 Statistics Canada. The Daily. Canadian Health Measures Survey: Directly measured physical activity of Canadians, 2007-2011. 18 June 2013 (from heart and stroke)
About Playocracy Inc. Playocracy Inc. develops educational resources and workshops that complement the current educational system intentionally so that children can develop in holistic ways. Our market is very unique, yet timely, as we focus on fostering social and emotional skills just as much as we nurture the physical and cognitive. Our resources and workshops inspire both authentic, creative play and leadership development, which increases activity and movement while enhancing the social/emotional growth of all participants. Almost a decade ago we created our L.E.A.D. Recess program. This evidence-based program functions as an active recess leadership program which aims to create a sense of belonging and develops a strong school community through play.
About IPEMA and the Voice of Play The International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA) is a non-profit, membership, trade association that represents and promotes an open market for manufacturers of playground equipment and surfacing. Its Voice of Play initiative promotes growth in the quality and quantity of children’s free play and the use of playgrounds. By providing information and resources, the Voice of Play’s goal is to increase education and awareness about the many benefits of children’s play, including the development of critical physical, emotional, social and cognitive skills.
BECOME A CERTIFIED RECREATION INSTALLATION SPECIALIST Take Your Career & Business to the Next Level!
January 30 – 31, 2020 Orlando, FL Register by Jan. 16 February 17 – 18, 2020 El Segundo, CA Register by Feb. 3 This course covers every aspect of recreation play installation, from legal requirements to safety protocols and quality control. Not limited to contractors! Municipality employees, manufacturers, distributors and contractors have found the course incredibly beneficial! Get more information & register at playground-contractors.org or call 717-724-0594.
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WINTER 2019 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 11
City officials and members of the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee team cut the ribbon at the new BlueCross Healthy Place at David Carnes Park
A HEALTHY PLACE The grand opening caps a year-long $5.4 million project to transform a neighborhood park.
by Kent Callison HUNDREDS OF RESIDENTS in the Whitehaven community of Memphis were on hand to welcome back a beloved landmark – David Carnes Park. Renamed BlueCross Healthy Place at David Carnes Park, this nine-acre community green space has been transformed with GameTime play and fitness amenities for people of all ages and abilities, including two playgrounds, a splash pad, Challenge Course®, and other outdoor fitness equipment, walking trails and a community pavilion. The
year-long project was made possible by funding from BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation. In his remarks at the ribbon-cutting, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said, “It’s a great day for Whitehaven. This place is a total transformation of David Carnes Park. An asset like this will be invaluable to this community.” GameTime served as the designer and general contractor of the project. “One of the most satisfying things we do as a company is to help communities create fun, active, and healthy places for
12 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE WINTER 2019
families,” said Robert Barron, Sr. Vice President with GameTime. “BlueCross is committed to the health and wellness of Tennesseans. We are proud to be their partner in this effort.”
A Place for Everyone to Play
The playground features play areas for ages 2 to 5 and 5 to 12 with ramped access throughout the play structures, ground-level play activities like an accessible seesaw and multi-user swings, and poured rubber surfacing for easy accessibility for everyone. The play area was dewww.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine
The play areas at David Carnes Park are designed for people of all abilities
signed using the research found in Me2®: 7 Principles of Inclusive Playground Design® from Utah State University Center for Persons with Disabilities. Because of its research-based design, PlayCore designated the play area as a National Demonstration Site for Inclusive Play.
Play it Cool
Adjacent to the playgrounds is an accessible splash pad to keep families cool when the weather in Memphis turns hot. Each of the sprayers and water activities is ADA accessible, and the zero-entry design of the splash pad makes it easy for everyone to join in the fun.
climb and explore. Throughout the upper path, there are pockets with fitness equipment like chest press, chin-up bars, etc. for adults to exercise. The combination of play and fitness pockets with the various walking paths make David Carnes Park a beautiful place for the entire family to be active together in nature. The outdoor fitness areas are designed using research from PlayCore’s scholar network and designated as a National Demonstration Site for adult fitness.
Nature-inspired play pockets are installed along the lower trail for children to explore
The splash pad is a great place to cool off and is accessible for children and adults of all abilities
Nature-Inspired Play and Fitness
The center of the park is home to a beautiful stand of old-growth trees. GameTime designed walking paths through this mini forest and around the perimeter of the park. Along the lower trail are pockets of play for children to www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine
Among the outdoor fitness equipment is a THRIVE system for functional fitness training WINTER 2019 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 13
A blacksmith-themed play area to honor the memory of David Carnes and to educate visitors about the Whitehaven Community
Honoring the Past
During the community planning meetings, we learned from local historians the park was originally named for Memphis’ first African-American landowner - a blacksmith named David Carnes. We also learned from members of the Carnes family, who still live in Memphis, the park used to be the Carnes family homeplace. It was once filled with acres of fruit trees and the sound of the nearby blacksmith forge. To honor Mr. Carnes, GameTime created a historical marker that serves as an imaginative play area. The custom-designed blacksmith shop includes a plaque so future generations will learn about David Carnes and the Whitehaven community.
A Little Healthy Competition
There is a Challenge Course, a timed obstacle course for children and adults, at David Carnes Park. It includes a 40yard dash so friends and family can compete with one another. There is also a large multi-purpose field for team sports like soccer or football. The Chal-
lenge Course, 40-yard dash and athletic field all feature with professional-grade accessible synthetic turf. A project like this requires a large and passionate team. Along with GameTime, many partners made the project a reality, including Barge Design Solutions, Cunningham Recreation, and RJR Enterprises. Barge architects prepared the master plan and landscape transformation of the park. Cunningham Recreation is GameTime’s exclusive representative in Memphis. They coordinated the installation of the new play and fitness amenities and worked closely with RJR Enterprises to manage the construction process. With help from local subcontractors, landscapers, and laborers, the park came together through hard work and a commitment to creating a place unlike any other in the state of Tennessee. From the first community meetings to the grand opening ribbon-cutting, GameTime was on the ground and deeply involved to ensure the project was the perfect place for Memphis - a BlueCross Healthy Place.
A Community Gathering Place
One of the most requested features from residents was a place for families to gather for picnic lunches, parties, or special events. A large covered pavilion with a dozen picnic tables is located near the David Carnes historical marker. It provides plenty of room for family gatherings and a great place to rest between play adventures.
The large covered pavilion is one of three shelters in David Carnes Park
Members of GameTime, PlayCore, Cunningham Recreation, and RJR Enterprises celebrate with BlueCross BlueShield and the Whitehaven community at the grand opening of David Carnes Park
14 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE WINTER 2019
www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine
About GameTime
GameTime is a leading manufacturer of inclusive playgrounds, custom play spaces, and outdoor fitness equipment. Headquartered in Fort Payne, Alabama, and with distribution around the world, our products combine play research with thoughtful design to create play and recreation spaces for people of all ages and abilities. We bring together the right corporate, civic and nonprofit partners to build healthy, active communities that make the world a better place for children and families.
Maintaining your parks and playgrounds just got a lot easier.
877.984.0418 www.playgroundguardian.com info@playgroundguardian.com
About PlayCore
PlayCore is a purpose-driven company committed to building stronger communities around the world by advancing play and recreation. The company infuses scholarly learning, through its Center for Outreach, Research, and Education, into its comprehensive family of brands. PlayCore combines best-in-class educational programming with the most comprehensive portfolio of play and recreation products and services to create tailored solutions that match the unique needs of each community served.
About BlueCross Healthy Places
Strong communities are built on strong relationships, so BlueCross Healthy Places are designed to help neighbors spend time together while enjoying healthy activities. The BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation will fund projects in communities of all sizes across the state. There are three other BlueCross Healthy Place projects currently in development, one in the town of Huntland, one at the Miracle Field complex in Kingsport, and one in the Highland Park neighborhood of Chattanooga. Another project will be announced in fall 2019. www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine
MAKE A
SPLASH
WITH A PLAYGROUND
PUMP!
www.CadronCreekPlay.com
WINTER 2019 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 15
I am an
Athlete... I AM AN ATHLETE… Oh no no, I am really an athlete… What do you think of when it comes to the image of an athlete? Are they muscular? Lean? Fast? Nimble? Is that really all an athlete is and can be? I think not. Have you ever considered another side of athletics for those who are considered “differently abled?” My name is Taylor Duncan. I am 23 years of age from the rural-suburban town of Dallas, Georgia, who was diagnosed on the autism spectrum at the age of 4. I had always wanted to play the game of baseball since first watching it on television at a very young age. When I was much younger, I didn’t have the capability to play traditional sports due to the many sensory, anxiety, and speech issues I had at the time. With the help of my mother, teachers, and other mentors, I was able to conquer many of those obstacles as I grew older. However, I would still face stigma from coaches who wanted me to quit playing due to their preconceived ideas of being an “injury risk” because of “my 16 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE WINTER 2019
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autism” and lack of prior experience over the others who were given those past opportunities. Many only wanted to bring home a trophy and had the mentality where they had to win at all costs. I had a coach one year who did give me that opportunity to play on a traditional team and to learn many of life’s lessons through experience… How to deal with winning and losing with class, how to work with others with different personalities as a team, and many more lessons learned to take with me off the baseball diamond into my personal life. Every game and practice was a great social skill lesson. We lost nearly all of our games, but the entire experience helped me build self-confidence. More importantly, it reignited a passion to continue playing for the love of the pastime. In the years since, I continued to struggle for that second opportunity to participate. Being from a rural-suburb around 40 minutes west of Atlanta, there were very few opportunities in my community to play recreational sports, much less anything for those on the autism spectrum. Even in the local church recreation softball leagues, it was about winning and not about the fellowship. I faced much more stigma and felt more frustration, and finally decided if I was ever going to have the same opportunities as everyone else, it was time for me to start my own team. After a successful season with recruited players from Craigslist, I decided to further network with those who had played at higher levels across the Southeast region. I participated www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine
alongside USSSA and NSA Canada Major level players in Spring Training with the Pros camp in Kissimmee, Florida. Not knowing what to expect, I chose to take every opportunity I possibly could to learn as much as I could. Many took me under their wing for that one week. I learned many more mechanics and connected with many more people that week than what I had ever dreamed of doing. The entire experience was just fantastic. Heading home, I asked my mother, “Why isn’t this opportunity available for those like myself who just want to play traditional ball? No adaptations or major rule changes, but traditional ball like everyone else plays?” The idea of Alternative Baseball® was born at that very moment. After a couple of years gaining more experience in playing and coaching across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, I felt it was time to take that next step in that mission to provide the authentic baseball experience for other teens and adults like myself who just want to be encouraged to be accepted for who we are, encouraged to be the best we can be and instilled with confidence to accomplish the things we dream to accomplish. We held our first practice in March of 2016 with around 6-7 players at McEachern Memorial UMC softball fields in Powder Springs, Georgia, where we worked on the most basic of skills: throwing and catching a ball, how to hit a ball, running the bases, etc. Almost none of the players had put a glove on before, much less had any prior playing experi-
ence. As the weeks went by, the players improved both physically and socially. They were learning, themselves, how to make plays which required their new skills to communicate with each other and work together as a team. Soon, we started playing actual games. We would have neurotypical players (players not on the spectrum) with varying levels of experience to fill in the remaining spaces in the roster for the day. All players play independently when running the bases and taking their positions in the field. There are no “buddies” in Alternative Baseball®. Our games are played with the classic version of the professional baseball rule-set: 4 balls is a walk, 3 strikes is an out, and 3 outs to an inning’s side. Most games are 7 innings, with the occasional 9-inning game at the end of the year. If the game is tied after 7, we play in extra innings and play until either there’s a winner or until dusk (because there are no lights at that field). On November 12, 2016, Alternative Baseball® held its inaugural All-Star Game event as the celebratory finale for the players who attended at least 70% or more of practices and games throughout the calendar year from the first day they started playing. For one day, they had the opportunity to play alongside and against former and current professional baseball players who played for teams across the globe. No restrictions, no adaptations, just the opportunity to showcase what they learned throughout the year against those regarded as among the very best. Momentum further grew as more participants started signing up to play dur-
WINTER 2019 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 17
ing the 2017 season. In fact, participation tripled to where there were now enough players and volunteers to split into two teams (which we did at the end of the 2017 season.) Brian Snitker, 2018 National League Manager of the Year would be among those participating in the 2nd Annual All-Star Game that November. By the start of 2018, producers with ESPN, CNN/HLN, and eventually NBC’s TODAY called about filming segments for their hit shows and news series. With those segments filmed at various games in Powder Springs and airing throughout the year, e-mails and phone calls started pouring in from those who wanted help starting Alternative Baseball® in their communities across the United States. As I looked further into expansion, I learned something absolutely stunning that I could not believe. In many (urban, suburban, and rural) communities, parents were asking for more resources for their sons/daughters as many would have to travel over an hour to find something that may or may not fit their
needs (depending on where they were diagnosed along the spectrum.) I also learned of a massive shortage today of services available for those who are older than high school age. When Graduation Day rolls around for them and they go up on that stage to collect that piece of
18 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE WINTER 2019
paper from the Principal, that’s also the day where many of those services that may have been available stop. No longer eligible and with no services to further build their skills for the work and social sectors, many go home never to be heard from again (except on their video game
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consoles). With the demand, we started the expansion process to start Alternative Baseball® in their neighborhoods where we aim to provide a high-quality program for others just like myself in those communities. Today, we are starting 30+ new teams across 14 states throughout the country. We are always looking for new players who want the opportunity to form new friendships and gain new skills for life on and off the baseball diamond. We are always looking for volunteer coaches/ managers to help us provide this opportunity in more communities across the country (and beyond)! My biggest lesson throughout every experience: through lifting perceptions and providing new opportunities where there never have been opportunities before, you are not only redefining what it means to be an athlete for tomorrow, you are redefining what it means to become a positive member of society!
Enjoy the Outdoors ...on the Playground
TM
Commercial quality products able to withstand years of use and exposure. Made in the USA since 1959. Picnic Tables
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So… what are you waiting for!?
For more information on how you can help Alternative Baseball®, please visit www.alternativebaseball.org to sign up to volunteer and/or play for your local club today! Thank you for helping us break barriers! Together, we are powering through perceptions!
Custom Signs
Bike Racks
PARK • STREET • CAMP SITE PRODUCTS
TAYLOR C. DUNCAN Taylor C. Duncan is an aspiring motivational speaker, award winning non-profit leader, and inclusion ambassador from Dallas who was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at the age of 4 years. Duncan is 2019 recipient of the J.B. Hawkins Humanitarian Award from the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, and also spoke at the TedXAtlanta conference in 2019 on the importance of providing opportunity in and outside of athletics for people with disabilities.
RJ Thomas Mfg. Co., Inc. Cherokee, Iowa • 800-762-5002 pilotrock@rjthomas.com • pilotrock.com
T H I N K I N G T O DAY
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Magazine
Connect With PGP
For more information, please visit www.alternativebaseball.org and www.taylorcduncan.com www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine
WINTER 2019 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 19
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NPCAI PArtners with Playground Professionals PLAYGROUND PROFESSIONALS (PGP) AND THE NATIONAL PLAYGROUND CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION, INC. (NPCAI) are announcing a partnership to enhance visibility and marketing opportunities for all involved. “PGP is a great resource for the industry and this new partnership is a great way for NPCAI to promote our members. It is part of an integrated approach to get the word out about our industry,” said NPCAI Communications Director Michelle Keyser. Jake Amen, PGP publisher states "Partnering with the NPCAI gives us an opportunity to reach deeper into the play and playground industry to promote contractors and the issues that affect them." PGP has created free Profesional Spotlight Directory listings for every NPCAI member and now has a unique category for NPCAI members to differentiate these professionals from non-members. Each of these listings includes the pertinent certifications for
that company, and the list is searchable. We invite you to check out your listing on www.playgroundprofessionals.com. You may want to send updated information to editor@playgroundprofessionals.com. In particular, make sure that the listing covers this latest data: • • • • • • • • •
Business/organization name Contact name Email Website URL Address Phone Logo Company bio Social media links
listing can appear on content pages, at the top of the directory list, and on more category or location pages for a full year.
Deluxe Spotlight
Display your spotlight on hundreds of related pages throughout the website Add up to 3 categories or unlimited locations to your spotlight for $49 $24.50 (or both for $99 $49.50)
Sponsored Spotlight
As an NPCAI Member, you get a 50% discount off of our enhanced Professional Spotlight listings. This will bring you even more exposure, creating one of the best advertising values in the industry. With these enhancements, your
Become a Sponsored Spotlight to make sure your listing is displayed at the top of your category or location spotlight search. Includes benefits of Deluxe Spotlight for $199 $99.50. If you are interested in broader advertising opportunities on the website and in the magazine, please contact editor@ playgroundprofessionals.com. We have special NPCAI pricing on these packages as well.
PGP invites any NPCAI member who wishes to write blog posts or magazine articles to submit those to editor@playgroundprofessionals.com. We are excited to tap into your expertise in the playground construction field to inform our readers.
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WINTER 2019 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 21
Big Ticket
After more than 117 years, Canobie Lake Park keeps looking ahead with long-lasting Bomanite by Sean O’Keefe AN ADAGE SAYS if you want something done right then do it yourself. In 2019, the idea of doing nearly anything yourself probably seems antiquated. However, despite today’s tech-connected, hyper integrated world, true visionaries and
craftsmen still often really can’t imagine doing it any other way. Such is the case at Canobie Lake Park, a hand-built amusement park located on the shore of Canobie Lake in Salem, New Hampshire, that first opened to the public in 1902. Founded as a trolley park, the original visitor experience featured botanical
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gardens, a penny arcade, and a few early amusement rides. In 1936 to the delight of visitors, the park’s second owner installed a new wooden roller coaster named the Yankee Cannonball; a ride that still draws crowds 83 years later. In 1958, Canobie Lake Park was purchased by three close friends from New Jersey who decided to take on the challenge of renovating and revitalizing it themselves. “Every year they add something new,” says Mike Harrington of Harrington Bomanite, a decorative concrete contractor who has been installing concrete at Canobie Lake Park for the better part of thirty years. One of the park’s three owners, Raymond Captell, is the visionary responsible for dreaming up new crowdpleasing environments at Canobie Lake Park. Harrington shares that Captell is never short of ideas or light on expectations. “Ray always has a clear picture of what he wants the finished attraction to look like. Maintaining the park’s rustic, historic, handcrafted feel and using highwww.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine
quality materials are both very important to him.” Harrington was first approached by Captell about using Bomanite’s stamped concrete to create realistic, durable, repeatable concrete patterns as borders around various attractions sometime in the early 1980s. Since then, Harrington and his team have been back essentially every year, adding textures, upgrading features, and helping tie together the park’s many different attractions with a wide variety of patterns and textures. The first name in stamped concrete, Bomanite imprint systems produce repeatable forms in cast-in-place architectural concrete such as slate, granite, limestone, sandstone, cobblestone, and brick, among more than a hundred different patterns. Perhaps the most unique aspect of Harrington Bomanite's longstanding relationship with Canobie Lake Park is the way the two enterprises go about their business. “We’ve never had a contract or a precise scope of work in all these years. It’s always been an estimate and a handshake with Ray,” says Harrington with a light chuckle. “Thirty years ago, when he came across Bomanite’s stamped concrete there were very few people building that way, so we were the choice locally. We’ve been back every year to create something new since, so quality has built the relationship.” The 2018 addition Harrington Bomanite completed for Canobie Lake Park was Tidal River, a 45,000-SF lazy river with waves, circling the park’s grandest water feature, Castaway Island. Only one
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of three tidal rivers ever created, after entering a zero-entry wave pool guests loop around the tranquil island oasis propelled by waves that form every ten seconds. In addition to the river, the expansion included adding a new kiddie pool and significantly enlarging the pool deck facing Castaway Island. “The big challenge was meeting the state and environmental requirements for capturing surface runoff in a way that met the owner’s expectations for aesthetics,” says Harrington. Sitting next to cherished natural resource, Canobie Lake, a primary determinant of what has been built on the property has long been containing the large volume of runoff that accumulates across the park when it rains. “Drainage is a big issue here, but it had to be done in a way that enhances the look and feel of the space,” continues
WINTER 2019 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 23
Harrington Adding approximately two acres of new hardscape next to the pool meant the need to incorporate an extensive drainage system in the concrete deck. In any pool deck, surface water must drain away from the pool and rather than trap runoff in a catch basin, the design intent was to get it into the ground through natural percolation. While many hardscape options allow permeability including pavers and pervious concrete, Captell was opposed to installing anything other than Bomanite stamped concrete, insisting that the solution be visually harmonious with the rest of the hardscape.
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“Ray likes being able to go into the Bomanite palette and choose textures and colors that achieve his intentions,” says Harrington of the eventual design. In this case, the collaboration between Harrington and his client incorporated three different imprints and produced a meandering pebbled brook, bisecting the deck to elegantly conceal the drainage system. A four-foot-wide band of Bomacron Garden Stone pattern was brought to life by a custom aqua blue color hardener to reveal a ripple of liquid in bubbling motion. A 12” drain-grate on either side of the brook catches runoff and directs it below-grade where an engineered system of crushed stone 4’ deep allows the water to absorb into the ground naturally. Captell, himself, was the one who found the ribbed drain system, a critical component that snaps together and allows the channel to seamlessly follow the undulating wave of concrete. Beach areas abutting the pool were simulated with Bomacron Regular Slate Texture and light brown tones of color hardener and release agents to achieve sandy beach vibe. On the lounge deck and around the Lifeguard walks, Bomacron’s 11.5” Boardwalk pattern imparts a wood-grain quality that adds depth and balance to the island getaway experience. “We’ve been working with Bomanite since 1972,” finishes Harrington proudly. “It’s amazing for us to still be able to do something that feels new, challenging, and exciting after all this time. We’ve still got it, and with Bomanite, the possibilities remain endless.”
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WINTER 2019 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 25
Scammed? Horrible! Positive Outcome? Absolutely! by Pat Rumbaugh Ok, readers, you may be wondering how does a title, “Scammed? Horrible! Positive Outcome? Absolutely!” belong in the Play and Playground Magazine. I am willing to bet all of us reading this column were, at some time in our lives, taken by surprise, caught off-guard and asked ourselves “How did that happen to me?” We are the folks who love to play, we go to playgrounds to slide, swing and have fun. We are also human and things happen. On Wednesday, August 7, 2019, I had just left yoga. I sure needed it since I was pooped from joining our city’s National Night event the night before. I literally played in the streets for hours. I am the Executive Director of the nonprofit Let’s Play America (LPA). One of the many ways we help people play is by adding play activities to other events. That night LPA interns and volunteers offered over twenty activities in a street blocked off, so people of all abilities, ages, and backgrounds could go outside and play. One of the many benefits of the Na-
tional Night Out event is that the police play with children, teens, and adults. Our Police Chief, Antonio DeVaul was in the dunking booth, - now tell me if that isn’t playful? Several officers played giant chess, corn hole, and other activities. It was a great event and playing helped citi-
26 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE WINTER 2019
zens and police get to know each other by playing together. On Wednesday afternoon I received a call that led to hours of me being scammed. Most of the money taken was from Let’s Play America and some from my own personal funds. The hours spent
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on the phone were so stressful that I was in a daze. The next day when I discovered I had been scammed I immediately went to our Police Department and reported this horrible experience. Two days later Police Chief DeVaul called me to say another person in our community was scammed in a similar fashion as myself. Chief DeVaul asked if I would be willing to be interviewed by ABC Channel News 7. I agreed to the interview. See the interveiw here: http:// wjla.com/features/7-on-your-side/ takoma-park-nonprofit-social-securityphone-scam The first month after I was scammed I did not sleep through the night. I would wake up in a sweat asking myself over and over how did this happen to me? What saved me were tons of people who believe in the work we do for Let’s Play America. A friend of LPA, Eric Saul, offered to create a GoFundMe, where you can donate: https://www.gofundme.com/help-a-tkpk-charity-recoup-funds-from-theft Life is full of challenges. There are stresses in our lives and many things are out of our control. My faith, time, support and making time to play all were factors that helped me move forward. One night I woke up with an aha moment regarding recruiting for our Board of Directors: why don’t I reach out to play advocates around the country? Within a week Dr. Patty Hohlbein, Kerri Schiller and Louise Bensen agreed to be board members. Patty is a professor whose expertise is emotional play, Kerri is working on her Ph.D. in Adult Play and Louise has years of experience in play for young children. I met all three of these play advocates at play conferences over the last ten years. Play unites us. I have continued to search for board members and am extremely fortunate to have Dr. Donna Graham, Kerry Richter, and Cherwanda Oliver join our board. All three have been instrumental in helping Let’s Play America promote play. Donna has a Doctorate in Education and is a terrific photographer. I met her on the tennis court years ago. I nicknamed Donna The General because she is skilled at getting everyone on the court and playing. Donna creates posters, that share our mission, vision and what Let’s Play America is about. You can find this information on our website www. letsplayamerica.org Kerry has helped close her street to www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine
play two years in a row. She arranged for a band to play on her front porch, offered healthy snacks and several neighbors who helped set up the play equipment. Can you visualize over a hundred people playing in the street? Some folks were dancing, others hula hooping and everyone was having a good time. Cherwanda is known as our Mud Pie Lady. Cherwanda has been leading this activity for years. She works behind the scenes by helping us plan our events. Cherwanda is my partner in leading Play Adventures at the Capon Springs Resort (www.caponsprings.net). We will be there on June 19-21, 2020. Come join us! Our board of directors met on November 15, 2019, to plan our events for 2020. We discussed our budget and went over our new Financial and Procedure Manual created by our accountant, Ismenia Peña-Romero. We played a game called, “Go Bananas,” and ended the meeting with a cheer: “We love to play.” The bottom line is that we can find something positive in negative situations. What we can do to combat these challenges is to give ourselves playtime every single day. Play can help lessen our worries and physical play activities help us get the much-needed exercise our bodies crave. Our bodies need physical activity, our minds need a break from school and work, and we need to socialize with family and friends. So give yourself daily playtime. You deserve to play.
Cherwanda Oliver
Louise Bensen petting Bodie
2020 Play Days 10th Annual Mid-Winter Play Day
Febuary 9
Dr. Donna Graham
June 6
7th Annual Adult Play Day
September 26
12th Annual Adult Play Day
Hurray for play! - Pat, The Play Lady
Readers, if you would like to know more about ways to provide playful events for your community, contact Pat, theplaylady@gmail.com and visit www.letsplayamerica.org
Kerri Schiller, Pat Rumbaugh, Patty Hohlbein
WINTER 2019 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 27
This annual conference brings together leading play researchers, park and recreation professionals, educators, health scientists, landscape architects, designers, planners, business and community leaders, psychologists, physicians and parents from across the country. The three-day event includes keynote and featured
2020 Conference on the Value of Play:
PLAY FOR ALL
speakers, PLAYtalks, PLAY institutes, research symposium, educational
sessions, roundtables, grant opportunities, US Play Coalition presents
networking, and opportunities for play.
“PLAY FOR ALL” will explore play across the lifespan and address universal issues of health, education, access, equity, inclusion, design and more.
March 29- April 1, 2020
• International/Global Play • Multi/Intergenerational & Adults at Play • Accessible & Inclusive Play • Health, Recreation & Play • Nature Based & Outdoor Play • Education & Play • Designing for Play • Emerging Trends in Play • Nuts & Bolts
@usplaycoalition
Learn More and Register for the Play Conference online at usplaycoalition.org