Photo Credit: Rockford Ill. Park District
Editor’s Note: This column, “LBWA” (Leadership By Wandering Around), is based on the premise that, in order to find out what’s going on in the field, a parks and rec leader has to leave his or her desk and “wander around” the area of operations, talk to people, ask questions, and kick around ideas with the individuals in the thick of delivering services to the public. So the author will bring up issues and ask the leaders among the readership to share their knowledge and experiences.
The Indoor Sports Center (ISC) in Rockford, Ill., recently hosted one of the most unique uses of a parks and rec indoor facility—a circus complete with an elephant!
A vast majority of parks and rec departments won’t ever have to face that type of strain on an indoor court surface; however, since the dawn of indoor facilities, there has been an ongoing discussion about the best type of surface and the various uses of indoor courts.
In the old days, program participants felt fortunate if they had an indoor facility that featured a hardwood floor—and even then it was generally just for basketball; without this surface, most players were willing to settle for concrete or tile.