In the News                                

Group shares ideas on parks
The Daily News Journal (Murfreesboro, TN), March 18, 2010 Thursday

Why we support an event center in Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo Gazette (Michigan), February 21, 2010 Sunday
When a local group's proposal to ask Kalamazoo County to build an event and athletics center on a blighted parcel in downtown Kalamazoo began to pick up serious momentum last year, the Gazette's Editorial Board took a cautious stance. What we said at that time was the idea for a public-private partnership to build an arena and create new economic development opportunities in the heart of our community deserved serious study and consideration.

Editorial: Scary head injury another reason to ban nonwood bats
Marin Independent Journal (California), March 19, 2010 Friday
GUNNAR SANDBERG remains in a medically induced coma after being struck on the head by a baseball last week at Marin Catholic. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family. We join his family and all his friends, teammates, coaches and fans in hoping the 16-year-old pitcher makes a full recovery.

Student wellness facility at UNLV requires refit
Las Vegas Review-Journal (Nevada), March 18, 2010 Thursday
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL Because of a design error, the new student recreation and wellness building at UNLV needs a major retrofit to meet the code for withstanding earthquakes, according to the university's legal team and two independent engineers. The University of Nevada, Las Vegas has already gone at least 10 percent over the "guaranteed maximum price" listed in the contract to build the center, which opened in 2007. But the spending is far from over. And it's not clear where the retrofit money will come from. Richard Linstrom , UNLV's general counsel, said, "We feel like we were the victim of severe professional malpractice" by the design team - DMJM Design, which is in Arizona, and a Las Vegas engineering firm, Bennett & Jimenez, which closed its doors in December. The university intends to sue for damages, Linstrom said. The recreation building's general contractor, Kitchell Contractors of Arizona, did not detect the seismic error, though it was paid an extra $150,000 up front, to serve as a so-called "construction manager at risk." That means it entered the project before construction started, in order to trouble-shoot questions about what state construction law calls a project's "constructability," as well as its scheduling.

Covina youth help design center's new playground
San Gabriel Valley Tribune (California), March 17, 2010 Wednesday
Arrow Community Center in Covina, along with Dr Pepper Snapple Group and KaBOOM!, held a Design Day on March 11, when community children let their imaginations run wild as they drew their dream playground.

Almost all March Madness teams lose money. What gives?
The Christian Science Monitor, March 17, 2010 Wednesday
Fill out your brackets, find an excuse to stay home from work - March Madness is officially under way. While college players are running layup drills in their sleep, the National Collegiate Athletic Association has already made its game-winning shot: a $6.1 billion, 11-year deal with network CBS to air the men's basketball tournament, signed in 1999. This year alone, the NCAA expects to rake in $638.9 million from media rights, virtually all of it from men's basketball. So, with all that cash rolling in, basketball must be a moneymaker for colleges and universities, right?

Plans for Lee County sports mega-complex dashed by 90s recession
The News-Press (Fort Myers, Florida), March 16, 2010 Tuesday
dhogan@news-press.com It's another story tied to baseball dreams: a Minnesota Twins spring training center would be the first piece of a mega-complex that would include Olympic swimming, track and field and an indoor sports arena. But those dreams were never realized.

Bedford athletics raising $300,000 for workout room
Toledo Blade (Ohio), February 17, 2010 Wednesday
TEMPERANCE - Building more muscle is on the minds of the Kickin' Mules. It has generated enough conversation that a group of individuals involved with Bedford High athletics is trying to address the concern by raising $300,000 to cover the costs for a new weight room and weight lifting equipment. Bedford Athletic Director Bill Regnier said such a facility at the high school is long overdue.

Maximum price approved for Baker athletics facility
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer (Georgia), March 17, 2010 Wednesday
The Muscogee County School Board voted on several upcoming construction projects in the school district during a Tuesday night board meeting, including a new athletics facility at Baker Middle School.

WSU will pay off its debt on Nutter Center in 2011
Dayton Daily News (Ohio), March 13, 2010 Saturday
FAIRBORN - Wright State University will free up more than $1 million in annual funds next year after it makes the final payment on $15.3 million in state bonds issued to construct the Ervin J. Nutter Center, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.

Dayton unveils $3 million rec center improvements
Dayton Daily News (Ohio), March 13, 2010 Saturday
DAYTON - College Hill resident Darlene Brook-shire works out at the city's Northwest Recreation Center two to three times a week, she said. But she might come more often now that the city has poured $1.5 million into renovating the center at 1600 Princeton Ave.

Lawsuit over scheduling to proceed
The Indianapolis Star (Indiana), March 16, 2010 Tuesday
The Title IX and civil rights lawsuit brought by former Franklin County High School girls basketball coach Amber Parker on behalf of her daughters over the scheduling of boys and girls basketball games will proceed against the Indiana High School Athletic Association, Franklin County High School and its basketball opponents, based on a federal district court ruling Friday.

Newark reviewing park plans
The News Journal (Wilmington, Delaware), March 14, 2010 Sunday
The News Journal Newark officials still are taking comments on three possible designs for a new park on the former site of the historic Curtis Paper Mill. The city unveiled three concept drawings for the proposed park at a public workshop on March 4 that was attended by more than 100 people. The drawings are on display at the city's Municipal Building on Elkton Road. Comments also are being accepted via a form on the city's Web site. The concept drawings released this month take in the mill site and the Old Paper Mill Road Park site across the street, which the city has owned since 1995.

Cape Coral swim complex plans still afloat
The News-Press (Fort Myers, Florida), March 13, 2010 Saturday
bliberatore@news-press.com A national swimming center could still be built in Cape Coral, but the city will have to pull funding from other programs in its budget, City Manager Carl Schwing said. The plan may possibly short-change projects such as utilities, wastewater, construction and road improvements. The council, which is split over whether such a plan is worth the effort, will vote April 26 on the deal. The National Swim Center Corporation wants to build a $22 million facility on the 180-acre Academic Village property in north Cape Coral. The project would include Olympic-style pools, arena, wellness center, a convention center, hotel, some shops and tennis courts.

Clemson, USC spending millions more on sports
The Greenville News (South Carolina), March 14, 2010 Sunday
Staff Writers Revenues from big-time athletics at Clemson University have soared by more than $20 million since 2005, yet the program last year operated at a slight loss even as income from ticket sales jumped 59 percent. Records obtained by The Greenville News under the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act show a 50 percent increase in revenues over the past five years to $61.4 million in the 2008-09 fiscal year. The athletic department, however, spent nearly $62 million, records show. The story is much the same at the University of South Carolina, where spending rose almost $27 million and revenues were up more than $29 million over the past five years. USC, however, turned a $2.7 million loss in 2005 into a $2 million gain last year, records show. Operating deficits for a single year should be viewed in context with other years, Clemson spokeswoman Cathy Sams said.

Opinion: LHSAA change hurts basketball
The Advocate (Baton Rouge, Louisiana), March 13, 2010 Saturday
Would high school principals vote to eliminate eight weeks of teaching math to dedicate the teaching time to science or English? I don't think so! What happened recently at the annual Louisiana High School Athletic Association Convention (Jan. 29) did the equivalent to high school athletics.

Breakaway bases help cut injuries
FLORIDA TODAY (Brevard County, Florida), March 12, 2010 Friday
FLORIDA TODAY When it comes to preventing serious injuries to young athletes, Little League baseball remains ahead of the curve in many areas. After adopting strict pitch-count rules to protect young arms in 2007, Little League required all sanctioned leagues to use breakaway bases on playing fields since the 2008 spring season began. Prior to that, many leagues, including those in Brevard County, had stationary bases, often bolted to a metal post fixed to the ground with a concrete foundation.

Female D.C. football coach could open doors for other women
USA TODAY, March 12, 2010 Friday
When Natalie Randolph is introduced this morning as head football coach at Calvin Coolidge High (Washington, D.C.), it will be a big deal for female coaches across the country.

Some Binghamton faculty push for exit from Division I
The New York Times, March 12, 2010 Friday
In the first formal protest of the scandal surrounding the Binghamton University men's basketball team, a group of faculty members is collecting signatures to recommend that the university leave Division I athletics.

Synthetic turf attracts h.s. soccer even before official opening
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, March 12, 2010 Friday
North Gwinnett High School's practice field gets a lot of use, with three sports teams cramming onto a patch of turf no bigger than a football stadium. "It gets torn up," athletic director Mark Karen said. "If it rains, we're playing on mud. If it's dry, we're playing on a dusty field." So the soccer coaches for the Suwanee school turned to Sugar Hill. Its yet-to-be-opened park features 255,000 square feet of synthetic turf fields that permit play, rain or shine.

Mandan Park District may face gym shortage
The Bismarck Tribune, March 11, 2010 Thursday
The Mandan Park District has found a home for its office space and fitness center at Raging Rivers water park. However, gym space for the park district programs leaves another gap that needs to be solved.

Rivals spar on gym funding; DeLay, Womack cite federal role
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock), March 11, 2010 Thursday
ROGERS - Two 3rd District congressional candidates sparred Wednesday over whether federal funding of wellness centers would be a "boondoggle" or would save money in the long run. Rogers Mayor Steve Womack said federal grant money could help build regional wellness centers - similar to the Rogers Adult Wellness Center - across the country that would promote a more healthful lifestyle and result in less money being spent on Medicare and health care over time. Gunner DeLay of Fort Smith, a former state senator and Sebastian County prosecutor, said "it's not the proper role of the federal government to get into the health club business" and, if there's money available for such grants, it should be returned to citizens as a tax break.

PLNU athletes decry cutting of 4 sports; Some contend law "backfired" on them
The San Diego Union-Tribune, March 6, 2010 Saturday
Shock and frustration continued to flow among student-athletes yesterday at Point Loma Nazarene University, where about 100 marched in protest of the school’s recent decision to eliminate four sports programs. Some carried signs that said “Title IX sucks” and “Save our sports.” Others said federal gender equity regulations “backfired” on them and called it “reverse discrimination” against male sports. “It’s supposed to be equal rights, but they’re taking away our right to play, so it’s not very equal,” said Kira Wommer, a senior softball player. “It backfired.”

Melbourne OKs park for rowing team to train
FLORIDA TODAY (Brevard County, Florida), March 10, 2010 Wednesday
FLORIDA TODAY The city will allow a high school rowing team to use Ballard Park for training over the complaints of some neighbors who said private groups shouldn't get exclusive use of public parks.

Sun Prairie's new gym a likely sectional basketball site
The Capital Times (Madison, Wisconsin), March 10, 2010 Wednesday
The massive field house inside Sun Prairie's new high school, which is scheduled to open in the fall, is a facility that can serve a great number of purposes. As athletic director Jim McClowry is quick to point out, its primary benefit is that of a spacious classroom for physical education students that eliminates overcrowding and gives teachers myriad options of activities to include in the curriculum. There's also the obvious advantage to the school district's student-athletes, who will have a breathtaking venue to call home. But there's an ancillary benefit to having a large facility with ample parking, and plenty of other bells and whistles, that has McClowry excited about the future.

Oakwood rec proposal includes upgrades at a time when other cities are making cuts
Dayton Daily News (Ohio), March 10, 2010 Wednesday
OAKWOOD - The city of Oak-wood, in a move that could make it a key recreation destination in the Dayton area, has unveiled preliminary plans to substantially upgrade its parks and recreational offerings.

Admission tax has members of new health club steamed
Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH), March 9, 2010 Tuesday
Anyone trying to get into shape knows how taxing it can be. Especially in Beachwood. Members of the new Life Time Fitness facility - a 120,000-square-foot fitness place with pools, basketball courts and a rock climbing wall along with the usual cardio and weight apparatus - were told in a recent e-mail that they would have to pay an extra 3 percent on their monthly dues to cover Beachwood's admissions tax. Members already pay a 5.5 percent state sales tax, 1.25 percent for Cuyahoga County and 1 percent for the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority.

Working cash for UO athletic budget went red
The Register Guard (Eugene, Oregon), March 7, 2010 Sunday
Mar. 7--The University of Oregon's athletic department finished the last fiscal year with part of its budget in the red, a sign that the poor economy continues to depress sports revenue just as the large bills for a new basketball arena begin to come due. The department finished the 2008-09 year with negative working capital of $642,000, according to an analysis by the Oregon University System. The OUS, which oversees all seven public universities in Oregon, looks specifically at athletic department finances once a year.

NFL's return could be link to Latinos
San Bernardino County Sun (California), March 9, 2010 Tuesday
For years, America's most popular sport, professional football, has sought to spread into more Latino households. At the same time, a local billionaire, Ed Roski Jr., has been hoping to end Los Angeles' NFL curse by buying and moving an existing team here. So is heavily Latino Los Angeles County an ideal place for this expansion?

Changes to Mount Joy parks plan?
The Evening Sun (Hanover, Pennsylvania), March 8, 2010 Monday
Mount Joy Township's contested parks plan will be back on the table this week, and could still see some major changes. After the fall election and a slew of resignations brought new township leadership, many in Mount Joy are wondering what will happen to the comprehensive recreation, parks and open space plan long championed by the former group of supervisors.