Making Recreation Accessible To All “We just wanted people of all abilities to be able to get on the water together,” says RJ De Rama, Executive Director and co-founder of Makapo Aquatics Project. That simple idea sparked the beginning of the organization, which is dedicated to making outrigger paddling accessible to every individual. This article is for Paid-members only
Bringing Aquatic Programming In-House In 2022, the City of Santa Ana, Calif. embarked on a transformative journey to bring its aquatic programming back in-house, marking a bold shift in its approach to community services. This article is for Paid-members only
Ready For Pool Season The COVID-19 pandemic, followed by inflationary cost increases, has made it more difficult for aquatic facility managers to maintain smooth operations. Staff shortages and budget tightening have also made general maintenance, water safety, and chemical management feel like herding cats. This article is for Paid-members only
The Dog Days Of Summer After children return to school and the swimming season winds down, the “dog days” of summer begin for the City of Tallahassee’s Aquatics Division. This article is for Paid-members only
Good Neighbors Conventional wisdom dictates that good fences make good neighbors, but when it comes to sports facilities (e.g., courts, fields, pathways, and the like), the issue is more complex. This article is for Paid-members only
A Community Milestone After years of gathering feedback, planning, designing, and constructing, the much-anticipated Queen Creek Recreation and Aquatic Center in Arizona opened on March 29, 2025. This article is for Paid-members only
Wet And Wild Ask recreationalists to name some of the top whitewater kayaking areas in the United States, and images of the New River Gorge in West Virgina, Salmon River in Idaho, and even the Ocoee River on the Tennessee-Georgia border come to mind. This article is for Paid-members only
Reducing Risk Despite the prevalence of swim-safety programs and classes, drowning remains a major risk for both adults and children. This article is for Paid-members only
Monday Nights Under The Lights Athletes and organizations around the country recently celebrated National Girls & Women in Sports Day. It always makes me feel great to see all the social media posts about young girls engaged in sports. This article is for Paid-members only
Standing Firm In my youth, I enjoyed coaching kids’ sports and shaping the minds and attitudes of young athletes. Baseball is one of those fabulous teacher’s aids. As part of the recreation department experience, I also had to umpire and referee games. This article is for Paid-members only
