illinois Vo l u m e 4 7 , N u m b e r 4 J u l y / Au g u s t 2 0 1 6 PARKS AND RECREATION PThe magazineR of the Illinois Association of Park Districts and the Illinois Park and Recreation Association aquatics IN THIS ISSUE 4 From the Editor Summer is the time to enjoy your agency's pool and water parks Get on Board 6 The Power of Parks: Beyond the Playground 8 Eye on the Profession Dear Summer Staff, Welcome to Our Professional Community! Statehouse Insider 10 Legislative Process on Approved Bills Continues During Summer What if I Told You the Industry Could Be 12 Changed with Just a Snap? The Park District of Oak Park shares how social media is instrumental in training staff Park It This Summer at Blue Island 16 Park District Blue Island Park District writes about the successful 12 aquatic amenities they offer Make A Splash That Lasts - 20 Marketing Pools, Water Parks, and Aquatic Facilities Year-Round The Wheaton Park District gives some tips for marketing aquatic facilities year-round 22 WebXtra Other agencies tell us about their aquatic programs 24 People and Places 16 20 Faces and places making news around the state I L L I N O I S P A R K S A N D R E C R E A T I O N illinois FROM THE EDITOR PARKS AND RECREATION The sun is shining and the air feels warm on my skin. PR 211 East Monroe Street, Springfield, Illinois 62701-1186 217.523.4554 FAX 217.523.4273 [email protected] www.ILparks.org www.ILipra.org I have just finished mowing the yard and the Managing Editor Graphic Design heat feels like it may be a PETER M. MURPHY, President and Chief Executive Officer, IAPD GOSS ADVERTISING, 217.423.4739, www.gossadvertising.com bit too much. Just then, Editor Advertising Sales Representative RACHEL LAIER, Publications Director, IAPD TODD PERNSTEINER, 952.841.1111, [email protected] my friend calls and she says she wants to take her daughter to the pool to play and asks if I would like to join them. Her call JOINT EDITORIAL COMMITTEE had perfect timing because I really wanted to jump IAPD Representatives IPRA Representatives ADRIANE JOHNSON into a nice, refreshing pool at that moment. Within , Buffalo Grove Park District LAURA BARRON, Village of the Lake in the Hills LORI FLORES-WEISSKOPF, Park District of Highland Park KARI MILLER, Batavia Park District minutes, she pulled up in my driveway and I hopped ANN ZIOLKOWSKI, Northbrook Park District in and we were off to the local park district's pool where we had a lovely afternoon. Just like the call from my friend, this issue is in perfect time to share ILLINOIS ASSOCIATION OF PARK DISTRICTS stories of one of summer's best pastimes-swimming! KEN COLLIN, Chairman, Freeport Park District KELLY CUMMINGS, Peoria Park District TOM BARZ, Chairman-Elect, Frankfort Park District SHARON DIMARIA, Schaumburg Park District DIANE MAIN, Immediate Past-Chairman, Westmont Park District ASHELY GOTT, Marion Park District JOHN HOSCHEIT, Vice-Chairman, Forest Preserve District of Kane County ADRIANE JOHNSON, Buffalo Grove Park District This issue is dedicated to aquatics. Each summer, KEVIN DOLAN, Vice-Chairman, Mundelein Park & Recreation District DALE LARSON, New Lenox Community Park District ERIC ENTLER, Vice-Chairman, Park District of Forest Park RON LEHMAN, Channahon Park District the kids are out of school and where is the first place GRANT HAMMER, Treasurer, Springfield Park District LESTER LONG, Dolton Park District they want to go? You got it. The pool or the water MIKE VOGL, Sergeant-at-Arms, Bloomingdale Park District SUE MURPHY, Oak Lawn Park District DOUG BROOKS, Rockford Park District LORI PALMER, Bartlett Park District park! While thousands enjoy aquatic facilities across DICK VOLKER, Princeton Park District the state, there is much that goes on behind the scenes. Many of these pools and water parks are IAPD HEADQUARTERS 211 East Monroe Street, Springfield, IL 62701-1186 217.523.4554 www.ILparks.org managed by local park agencies. These agencies PETER M. MURPHY, President and Chief Executive Officer RACHEL LAIER, Publications Director work hard to maintain their facilities so that you and JASON ANSELMENT, Legal/Legislative Counsel SHANNON SARTAIN, Legal Secretary your family can enjoy them for generations to come. BOBBIE JO HILL, Public Relations Director CINDY TIMMERMANN, Marketing Director ALAN HOWARD, Finance Director SUE TRIPHAHN, Educational Services Director SHERRI KHILE, Executive Secretary Operating a pool or water park is not an easy task. There are staffing challenges, lifeguards to train and ILLINOIS PARK AND RECREATION ASSOCIATION other park district employees to manage. Marketing MARY JEANNE HUTCHISON, Chairman, O’Fallon Parks NORTHERN REGION is also a crucial part of the success of a pool, splash and Recreation Department MOLLY HAMER, Secretary, Geneseo Park District pad or water park. One park district shares their RITA FLETCHER, Chairman-Elect, Bartlett Park District SOUTHERN REGION RICK HANETHO, Immediate Past Chairman, Northbrook Park District KIMBERLY CAUGHRAN marketing philosophy of advertising their pool year- , Village of Godfrey round. CHICAGO METRO REGION MEMBERSHIP COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE GREG PETRY, Waukegan Park District MATT CORSO, South East Association for Special Parks and Recreation (SEASPAR) CENTRAL REGION Another agency demonstrates how social media has JARROD SCHEUNEMANN, University of Illinois MEMBER-AT-LARGE JEFF FOUGEROUSSE, Vernon Hills Park District changed how they train their lifeguards. It continues to amaze me how technology and social media platforms are always changing and adapting to new IPRA HEADQUARTERS demands from the public. 536 East Avenue, LaGrange, IL 60525-6815 708.588.2280 Fax 708.354.0535 www.ILipra.org DEBBIE TRUEBLOOD, Executive Director LEESA JOHNSON, Conference and Meeting Director MATT FAIRBANKS, Membership and Education Director JESSICA KOLLMAN, Administrative Assistant/Marketing Coordinator Jump in to this issue and see what agencies across BARRY FRANKS, Finance Director SHEILA MULVEY, Education and Member Services Manager HEATHER WEISHAAR, Outreach Director Illinois are doing with their aquatics programs. Enjoy your summer!art out your summer with fitness goals Illinois Parks and Recreation (ISSN 0019-2155) is published bimonthly at 211 E. Monroe Street, Springfield, Illinois, by the Illinois Association of Park Districts and the Illinois in mind! Park and Recreation Association. Annual subscription rates: $12 for IAPD/IPRA members; $50 for non-members; $60 foreign; $20 educational institutions. Single copies: $2 members; $10 nonmembers. Periodicals postage paid at Springfield, Illinois and additional post offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Illinois Parks & Recreation, 211 E. Monroe Street, Springfield, IL 62701-1186. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily express the official views of the IAPD/IPRA. Likewise, the publication of any advertisement is not to be construed as an endorsement of the product or services offered. Members of the IAPD and the IPRA and other interested persons are encouraged to submit articles and illustrative photos for possible publication in the magazine. Send for manuscript guidelines and deadline dates: Editor, Illinois Parks & Recreation, 211 E. Monroe Street, Springfield, IL 62701-1186, 217.523.4554, [email protected], www.ILparks.org. By submitting articles for publication, authors are assigning the copyright to the Illinois Association of — Rachel Laier, Editor Park Districts. Copyright© by the Illinois Association of Park Districts and the Illinois Park and Recreation Association. All rights reserved. Reprints of articles in whole or in part without prior written permission are prohibited. 4 I l l i n o i s P a r k s & R e c r e a t i o n w w w . i p r a o n l i n e . c o m GET ON BOARD The Power of Parks: Beyond the Playground Peter M. Murphy, J.D., CAE IAPD President and CEO Parks as Medicine Dr. Sabgir sees the “greatest resilience” among his patients that walk Summer is here and the parks are full of families enjoying the great in parks. “Parks make the immediate rewards of exercise real and outdoors and the many wonderful programs offered by Illinois park provide an obvious significant added benefit. The participants leave districts. One of the major outcomes of this activity is a healthier the park holding their head much higher and their smiles are much Illinois. wider than when they arrived.” Patients who visit parks regularly “live a much higher quality of life,” he says. “The beauty of parks is that The latest issue of the National Recreation and Park Association there is such incredible motivation to move. For exercise to be a magazine focused on parks as medicine, stating that Frederick Law realistic alternative to the couch, it has to be enjoyable.” Olmsted, the noted landscape architect of the 19th century, strongly believed that parks could improve people, particularly their health. He Now is the time for parks to reach out to partner with healthcare noted that overexposure to certain aspects of city life led to “nervous providers. It's a collaboration that has not only improved people's tension, over-anxiety, hasteful disposition, impatience and irritability.” health, but has also led to greater awareness of parks in the Olmsted firmly believed that the green spaces in parks could benefit community. both physical and mental health. Parks as medicine is not a new concept, but, over time, many healthcare providers lost sight of it. However, today, a growing body of research is producing evidence that parks really are some of the best After a day's walk, medicine. everything has twice Prescribing parks is rapidly increasing across the United States and it is being recognized by the medical community as a low-cost its usual value.