Sports Planning Guide Features Archives

Planning and Growing New Sports Programs at Traditional Facilities

Today’s youth and amateur sports and recreation landscape is more diverse and dynamic than ever before. While this can be a benefit for people who are afforded options and opportunities to choose their activities, many “traditional” athletic facilities are struggling to maintain steady utilization, leaving operators in a reactive mode that makes programming, scheduling, budgeting and hitting the budget nearly impossible.

Dragon Boat Festivals are Captivating the Country

For more than 2,500 years, the sport of dragon boat racing has delighted spectators throughout southern China.

The sport’s North American lineage doesn’t stretch quite as far back (it has maintained a presence in Canada and the United States for the past 35 years), but, much like China, it has seen its popularity surge as competitors and fans alike have embraced the unique competition.

Sandboarding Founder Continues Quest to Popularize His Sport

When Lon Beale was a youngster living outside of Death Valley in California’s Mojave Desert, the unforgiving climate didn’t provide him with a wealth of entertainment options.

Thus, in 1972, the 14-year-old Beale got creative and took advantage of his surroundings by riding old water skis and skateboards down the many sand dunes that dotted the landscape.

Fat Bikes Keep Cyclists Riding When Temperatures Plunge

Every year when the calendar flips to January, large segments of the country’s inhabitants face the challenge of attempting to exercise despite temperatures reaching bone-chilling levels.

Outdoor enthusiasts, in particular, struggle to maintain their fitness rituals when ice and snow cloak their favorite running or biking trails for months at a time.

10 Sports Industry Trends for 2018

Our industry has seen unprecedented growth, and with it, a great deal of change. As we look ahead, the organizations and leaders that can anticipate (or create) these market shifts will be set up for long-term success. Each year at this time our team sits down to take stock of the past 12 months and tries to predict what market changes are on the horizon. With the element of change in mind, below are our top 10 sports events industry trends to look for in 2018.