March 2024 - Parks and Recreation - 13

Trending Sports to Watch
By Mary Helen Sprecher
W
hile many sports remain popular year after year, like baseball
and basketball, plenty of others are gaining players. Here are a
few to put on your watch list.
Beach Volleyball
Beach volleyball
is undoubtedly
one of the fastest-growing sports
nationwide, and courts are now being
built in landlocked areas across
the country. Consider this advice
when determining whether to add
beach volleyball courts to a park:
Do-it-yourself projects
often
result
in a facility that players won't
use because it does not drain well
or feel comfortable underfoot. A
skilled builder will ascertain that
the facility adheres to all necessary
specifications, including having the
correct type of sand, and that it
drains efficiently and holds up well.
Allow for adequate parking, particularly
if you plan to host league
play, and consider adding lighting
for night play.
Flag Football
The announcement that flag football
would be a showcase sport in
the 2028 Olympic Games in Los
Angeles was no surprise to its supporters
since it is popular not only
at youth levels, but also college levels.
It is already offered as a women's
sport by the National Association
of Intercollegiate Athletics
and the National Junior College
Athletic Association.
If you are considering flag football,
make sure your facilities
can withstand the additional use.
Women's flag football season begins
in the spring. Although there
is less of a chance that it will be
competing with tackle football for
field time, the inevitable growth
of the sport will mean a call for
more field
space
for
practices,
particularly if this is a multi-line
field that hosts other spring sports.
While a regulation football field
is often used, small-sided games,
such as the 5-on-5 format, require
a smaller playing area.
Grass Court Volleyball
Although
grass court volleyball
is often associated with backyard
games, it is actually a popular professional
tour sport. The Association
of Volleyball Professionals
(AVP) offers its AVP Grass Tour,
considered the premier showcase
for grass volleyball competition.
There are two configurations:
short court, with dimensions similar
to those of a standard beach
volleyball court, and big court,
with dimensions similar to those of
an indoor volleyball court. Grass
court volleyball requires very little
set-up. Should the playing surface
become too worn, the nets can be
moved to allow the grass to recover.
Disc Golf
During the pandemic, many people
spent more time outdoors, which
buoyed sports like disc golf. One of
the benefits of adding disc golf to
a park is that it can be placed on
land not suitable for other facilities;
Ultimate
Once called Ultimate Frisbee,
Ultimate
is a noncontact sport
that uses many of the same skills
as football, such as passing and
maintaining possession. It may be
played in a mixed-gender format
and relies on self-refereeing, known
as " The Spirit of the Game, " for
fair play. The sport's playing area
will depend upon the age of the
players involved; more information
can be obtained from its governing
body, USA Ultimate.
For more information,
the
American Sports Builders Association
offers its publication, Courts
& Recreational Surfaces: Construction
and Maintenance Manual, at
sportsbuilders.org.
Mary Helen Sprecher is Technical Writer for American Sports
Builders Association (maryhelen@sportsbuilders.org).
PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G | MARCH 2 0 2 4 | Parks & Recreation
13
Grass court volleyball is a popular
professional tour sport.
disc golf players are challenged by
rocks, hills, trees and other natural
landscapes. The Professional Disc
Golf Association supplies documents
on its website (pdga.com)
to help with course design, as well
as other materials to assist with the
implementation of the sport.
PHOTO COURTESY OF JIM GARMEN/WAUPACA
BOATRIDE VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT
http://www.pdga.com http://www.sportsbuilders.org/
March 2024 - Parks and Recreation

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