January 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 50

TOP TRENDS

ESPORTS
eSports - Coming to Public Park
and Rec Facilities?
With revenue topping a halfbillion dollars per year and a global
audience of 400 million annually,
eSports are more than a fad. In eSports, spectators essentially sit and
watch individuals or teams of players compete in a variety of electronic games, cheering rabidly for
their favorite champions or teams.
With slick marketing, intensive
promotion and exciting competition
for participants and audiences alike,
this essentially sedentary recreational activity poses a conundrum for
parks and recreation. It is almost
the antithesis of what we fight for
every day - combatting childhood
obesity, getting kids on their feet and
being physically active.
Despite its sedentary nature, eSports is a form of recreation virtually guaranteed to draw crowds of
young people into recreation facilities and venues. eSports events and
tournaments have excellent potential for revenue generation and facility utilization. Is it possible for

public parks and recreation to convert this enormous potential into a
means of promoting health, physical activity and social cohesion for
young people?
Prediction: Several park and rec
agencies will sponsor eSports tournaments in 2019, combining digital
gaming with supplemental events
and physical activity challenges. For participants, this will offer
maximum fun in combination with
heart-healthy physical activities,
gaining the best of what can be an
outstanding opportunity for parks
and rec to attract and engage youth.

FUNDING
Investments in Park
Infrastructure Will Rise
As reported in The Wall Street Journal recently, investments in state
and local infrastructure, which
have been depressed since the
Great Recession of 2008, are finally increasing because of increased
revenues from local tax receipts
that fund much of park and recreation infrastructure expenditures,
such as buildings and roads.

State and local spending is up
nearly 10 percent from last year, according to data from the Commerce
Department, and spending on capital outlays continues to grow, nearly
reaching the peak last seen in 2009.
The Commerce Department data
also show that spending on amusement and recreation facilities is up 31
percent from a year ago. It appears
that economic conditions will remain favorable for new investments
in park and recreation infrastructure
if local and state tax collections continue to rise and interest rates remain
relatively low. Parks and recreation
at all levels will expand the social
and economic value it brings to local, regional and state economies.
Prediction: Building on the momentum of the past few years, local
and state governments will make
even more park and recreation infrastructure investments in 2019 in
buildings, playground equipment,
roads and bridges, and capital repairs
to aging infrastructure, topping the
highest level of infrastructure spending since the recession of 2008.

BEYOND PICKLEBALL
Pig Yoga, Really?
If you thought doga (dog yoga), cat
yoga, or 'caprine vinyasa' (baby goat
yoga) was the epitome of yoga experiences, make way for pig yoga.
Yoga with a variety of animals is
a trending topic, and, nationwide,
some park and recreation agencies
are now sponsoring highly popular
goat yoga classes, where instructors
provide amicable baby goats for participants to share. But pig yoga? Yes!
It really is trending. As Jennifer Igneri writes in the website Nylon: " I
gave up on whatever pose I was hold-

Can eSports gaming offer an opportunity
for parks and recreation to play?
48

Parks & Recreation

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January 2019 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January 2019 - Parks & Recreation