January 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 44

TOP TRENDS
basis in the history of the survey.
In the world of parks and recreation,
we often take for granted that
our workers are very satisfied with
their jobs. But the reality is that our
workers face the same stresses as
other occupations. Gallup emphasizes
that organizations should be
concerned about the whole person,
not just the worker. Employee
well-being should be a top goal of
organizational culture.
Jim VandeHei, CEO of Axios,
the influential news organization,
says regarding the depressing data
published in the Gallup report, that
he advises any college graduate hitting
the job market to " persistently
pursue work so personally satisfying
that you would do it for free. "
Recreation Program Trends
Pickleball Noise Complaints
There is one recreation trend that
stands alone among all others:
pickleball! What seemed to be a
niche activity for older adults with
bad knees has exploded into a fullfledged
recreation trend, complete
with pickleball performance apparel,
celebrity influencers and even
professional leagues.
Park and recreation agencies are
flooded by public demands to build
more courts, and the popularity of
the sport has even reached the level
that it is generating complaints
from nearby neighbors about the
incessant day and night " thwackthwack "
emanating from pickleball
courts. Nearby residents claim the
noise can reach 70 decibels from
100 feet away, noise that exceeds
most local community standards.
According to FindLaw.com,
standoffs between local residents
and pickleballers have led to altercations
on courts and at public
meetings that were so heated that
the police had to be called to restore
order. Dozens of lawsuits
have been filed to stop tennis court
conversions to pickleball. Among
the
strategies
that FindLaw.com
recommends to aggrieved neighbors:
Build a soundproofing wall;
prohibit play early in the morning
and late in the evening; and if all
else fails, find a partner, pick up a
racket and start playing.
You Can Make More Money
Working at McDonald's
The childcare crisis and lack of
lifeguards for both indoor and outdoor
pools have seriously impacted
park and recreation agencies, and
the trendlines don't look favorable
for recruiting adequate numbers of
workers for either of these positions
in the near future. The childcare
workforce is down 88,000 workers
since the coronavirus (COVID-19)
pandemic, one of the only occupations
in the job market that has not
yet rebounded, according to the
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The conditions causing the lack
of qualified workers have not
changed substantially in the past
year,
despite some increases
in
the salary scales of park and recreation
agencies hiring childcare,
daycare and lifeguard positions.
After all, as frustrated managers
say, " You can make more money
working at McDonald's. "
Mindfulness, Nutrition
and Stress Reduction
One trend that aligns with the
growth of Community Wellness
Hubs and a greater focus on individual
and community health are
programs that
support
mental,
emotional and social health. Yoga,
tai chi, guided meditation, nature
therapy - including forest bathing
- and especially programming to
teach mindfulness and stress reduction
are all growing in popularity.
" I have found that people are
more concerned about getting and
staying
healthy, especially given
the effects of COVID-19. People
want to learn more about nutrition,
A vehicle-to-building charging station at
the North Boulder (Colorado) Community
Center is bi-directional, allowing
the electric vehicle to feed power to the
building at times of peak demand.
44 Parks & Recreation |
J ANUAR Y 2 0 2 3
| PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G
PHOTO COURTESY OF BOULDER CLIMATE INITIATIVES
http://www.FindLaw.com http://www.FindLaw.com
January 2023 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January 2023 - Parks & Recreation
