Columns

Timeless Workplace Rules

There is one fact on Earth—no one is flawless. People make mistakes, and sometimes they’re the type that “stay with you.”

Columns 5 min read

Defeating Depression

Children’s mental health appropriately took center stage after they endured years of reduced physical activity during the pandemic. A recent study about exercise’s positive effect on children and teens reaffirmed what most recreation professionals already know and see every day.

Columns 3 min read

Moments, Impressions, Improvements

In 1976, I worked at a local pizza joint after school. One of the managers was an older gentleman and a “jack-of-all-trades.” In addition to the daily register count, he painted, repaired, fixed, and stocked all day long.

Columns 4 min read

Emphasizing Enthusiasm

In the world of youth sports, where developing skills and building character go hand in hand, the coach’s role is critical. Coaches are more than instructors; they are mentors, motivators, and role models.

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Columns 3 min read

Built On Trust

The plumber that my dad hired came up the basement steps slowly, shaking his head (for dramatic effect, I thought). He sat at the kitchen table and let out a long, loud exhale.

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Columns 5 min read

Showing Appreciation

When I remember the times I volunteered to coach one of my kids’ sports teams, what mattered most was when the organization showed appreciation for busy parents like me who stepped up to help. It’s amazing how simple it is to make a volunteer feel like he or she is doing something that matters.

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Columns 3 min read

Rolling With The Circumstances

In my junior year of college, I took a night job as a waiter in a four-star restaurant. The tips were phenomenal, and the experience was packed with lessons and growth opportunities.

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Columns 6 min read

Listen Up!

Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to moderate a great event hosted by Project Play Western New York. The primary focus was listening to kids who participate in sports and giving them a voice in how athletic programs are structured in their community.

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Columns 3 min read

Putting Physical Health First

My grandpa, Pasquale, and my Uncle Joe (his son) owned a barbershop on the Baldwin Wallace University campus in Berea, Ohio.

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Columns 6 min read

Playgrounds, Playcourts, Playfields

What would we wish for playgrounds—and recreation at large—to achieve for society in the 21st century?

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Columns 4 min read

Feeling The Heat

One of my most memorable sports experiences was during the summer when I finally decided to try out for tackle football. I had played for years with friends on the school fields in our neighborhood, but never on a team with pads and helmets.

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Columns 3 min read

Local Greatness

It was the summer of 1976. Everywhere I looked, there was bicentennial paraphernalia. Gerald Ford was in the White House, and the Watergate scandal that led to Nixon’s resignation was mostly in America’s rearview mirror.

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Columns 6 min read