A new indoor ice center slated to open in the Bronx, New York, in 2017 will generate more than $1.7 billion in economic benefits to the surrounding community, according to a study recently released by the center’s developer. If built according to plans, the 750,000-square-foot facility, known as the Kingsbridge National Ice Center, will become the largest of its kind, hosting nine indoor ice rinks and a giant community center.
The facility will occupy an existing building, the Kingsbridge Armory, which has stood vacant since 1996. Desiree Pilgrim-Hunter, spokesperson for the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance, called the ice center “a game changer” for the neighborhood. She said, “We’re on the cusp of creating a new economy for the Northwest Bronx.” “We’ve seen new athletic facilities completely transform the communities in which they’re established,” said Chris Fernandez, Customer Success Specialist, of EZFacility, a sports facility management software developer in Woodbury, New York. “Jobs, tourism, sports teams, fans, nearby restaurants and hotels — all of these things follow in the wake of new sports facilities, and they can have a huge positive impact on the local area.”
When plans for the ice center were drawn up, the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance signed an agreement requiring at least 51 percent of employees to be Bronx residents, and stipulating that employees be paid at least $10 per hour with benefits or $11.50 without. In addition, the community will receive 1.5 percent of the ice center’s annual revenues, or $276 million over the 99-year lease period. Also, the residents of the surrounding area will have free access to the 50,000-square-foot community center that will occupy the rink.

A new indoor ice center slated to open in the Bronx, New York, in 2017 will generate more than $1.7 billion in economic benefits to the surrounding community, according to a study recently released by the center’s developer. If built according to plans, the 750,000-square-foot facility, known as the Kingsbridge National Ice Center, will become the largest of its kind, hosting nine indoor ice rinks and a giant community center.
The facility will occupy an existing building, the Kingsbridge Armory, which has stood vacant since 1996. Desiree Pilgrim-Hunter, spokesperson for the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance, called the ice center “a game changer” for the neighborhood. She said, “We’re on the cusp of creating a new economy for the Northwest Bronx.”
“We’ve seen new athletic facilities completely transform the communities in which they’re established,” said Danielle Comeau of EZFacility, a sports facility management software developer in Woodbury, New York. “Jobs, tourism, sports teams, fans, nearby restaurants and hotels — all of these things follow in the wake of new sports facilities, and they can have a huge positive impact on the local area.”
When plans for the ice center were drawn up, the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance signed an agreement requiring at least 51 percent of employees to be Bronx residents, and stipulating that employees be paid at least $10 per hour with benefits or $11.50 without. In addition, the community will receive 1.5 percent of the ice center’s annual revenues, or $276 million over the 99-year lease period. Also, the residents of the surrounding area will have free access to the 50,000-square-foot community center that will occupy the rink.

In recent years, the fitness industry has seen a surge in popularity of mud-runs and obstacle course races. Exercise enthusiasts are drawn in by the unique experiences, sense of accomplishment and camaraderie with fellow competitors at these events. With the rise of big name competitions such as The Warrior Dash, Spartan Race and Tough Mudder (just to name a few), clubs and gyms need to assume many of their clients will want to compete. According to RACKED.com, Tough Mudder alone has had over 1.5 million participants since it began in 2010 and it is estimated that roughly 15,000 people participate in each event. Fitness businesses can capitalize on this increasing popularity by offering programs specifically catered to these challenges. Although some participants spend weeks or months training, all could benefit immensely from personal trainers to properly prepare them.
An inexperienced competitor may assume establishing a running routine will be enough to prepare. Clients should not be training like runners; they should be training like athletes. According to Casey Stutzman, director of education at Bay Athletic Club, while personal trainers should gear up clients with a base of cardiorespiratory fitness, clients will also need, “…a combination of body awareness, muscular strength and muscular endurance developed through body weight training”. Obstacle courses often require climbing, throwing, lifting, jumping, pulling, crawling, and running in short bursts, therefore, training protocols will have to be unique and not necessarily follow a usual gym regime. For example, a cornerstone during Tough Mudder is a 20-foot wall that teammates need to scale and climb over. To successfully prepare participants for such a challenge, personal training programs should include HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) oriented circuits, and moves such as chin-ups, pull-ups and corncob pull-ups to improve grip-strength and muscular endurance.
Fitness businesses should also consider incorporating climbing walls, ramps, hurdles, ropes and other equipment into their facilities to further prepare clients for these events. Furthermore, gyms can benefit from organized facility registrations. For example, encourage clients to sign up in groups to train for events and offer competitions to pay for their registration fees. As the adventure/recreational industry and fitness industry continue to collide, gyms would do well to include programs and equipment that cater specifically to participants gearing up to compete in these national events.

Members of Congress, after working closely with the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA), an organization of professional athletic trainers and supporters of the profession, recently introduced the Sports Medicine Licensure Clarity Act. The new bill allows athletic trainers and other sports medicine professionals to be covered by medical malpractice insurance as they travel, with athletes under their care, outside of their primary licensure state.
Athletic trainers are health care professionals who collaborate with physicians to provide medical health care to athletes. Currently, medical malpractice insurances are not required to provide coverage to athletic trainers and other sports medicine professionals for treating athletes, while outside of their primary licensure state. In other words, these medical professionals are at risk of professional loss if they treat an athlete across state lines. The introduced bill dissolves this issue and provides clarity to an unclear system by specifying such requirements.
“Facilities that have traveling athletic trainers or medical specialists for their athletes will benefit from this new bill.” said Joseph Rossi of EZFacility, a sports facility software provider located in Woodbury, New York. “Traveling is a big part of their job, and this bill affords them peace of mind.”
The Sports Medicine Licensure Clarity Act expands liability insurance coverage to athletic trainer’s and sports medicine specialists to states outside of their primary licensure state. The bill affords these medical professionals the protection they deserve. If you would like to help, please contact your Congress representative and ask for their support of the Sports Medicine Licensure Clarity Act. For more information, please visit http://www.nata.org/NR03182015.

Fit3D, the developers of innovative body imaging technology, recently launched their new product that is set to take the field of fitness assessment to the next level. The ProScanner allows the user to see beyond the pounds as they work to achieve their fitness goals.
According to Club Solutions, an industry leading fitness magazine, the high-tech measuring system scans the user’s entire body and provides accurate feedback about their fitness progress with a 3D model. The results identify elements that cannot be seen with a common weight scale, such as muscle development, BMI, increased endurance, etc. Ultimately, the state of the art scale allows clients to visually see progress.
“This really is the next evolution of fitness assessment.” said Joseph Rossi of EZFacility, a gym management software provider located in Woodbury, New York. “Many gym goers lose motivation either from not seeing immediate results or losing track of their progress. However, technology like the ProScanner solves both of these problems. Providing the ability to visualize physiological changes within the body will serve as a strong motivator for gym members to continue their routine.”
Fitness assessment is being taken to new heights with emerging technologies that provide further insight and analysis of the human body. It is these high-tech and innovative advancements that will keep members in the gym, and provide instruction as they seek to achieve their fitness desires.

A new multi-purpose sports facility, TNT Sportsplex, opened its doors in downtown Kingsport, Tennessee. According to Times News, the new facility spans 30,000 square feet, holds four high school regulation sized basketball courts, and can hold approximately 560 people.
The downtown Kingsport facility has been tailored for leagues, tournaments, and camps to accommodate a wide range of sports and activities. In addition, customers have the option to rent courts for a variety of occasions such as birthday parties. The biggest upside, to adding a sports facility to downtown Kingsport, is the new customers and revenue it will bring to local businesses.
“TNT Sportsplex is a game changer for the downtown Kingsport area.” said Joseph Rossi, an employee of EZFacility, a sports facility management software provider located in Woodbury, New York. “It has completely changed the atmosphere and given the downtown new life. People can go watch a game and then step into town afterwards, similar to what you would experience at a major league venue.”
TNT Sportsplex still has advertising and sponsorship opportunities available. To learn more about these opportunities or about TNT Sportsplex, visit their website.

Seminole County, Florida, is planning the construction of a major sports complex aimed at attracting youth athletic tournaments. The $27-million complex, designed to stretch over 102 acres, will include a baseball stadium and fields for soccer, lacrosse, football, and softball.
The county sits close to Disney World and other large, popular theme parks, and has been looking for a way to increase local tourism. A study conducted by Seminole County suggested that one tournament could draw as many as 1,900 people. According to the study, 17 events in one year could generate about $19 million for the local economy and add more than a dozen jobs. After five years, and with additional tournaments, the income generated locally would rise to $25 million, county officials said. The figure represents spending by visitors at nearby hotels and restaurants, retail stores, and other businesses.
Eric WIllin, COO, of EZFacility, a sports facility management software developer in Woodbury, New York, noted that city and county governments around the country are looking into establishing similar sports complexes as a way to generate revenue and support local business. “Youth sports travel has become a huge industry,” he said. “Families like the idea of traveling with a purpose, and if that purpose is deepening or challenging their children’s skills — or just allowing their kids to have as much fun as possible — then all the better. Simply put, it’s become a multibillion-dollar industry.” According to the latest figures compiled by the National Association of Sports Commissions, an Ohio-based group that works with tournament organizers and facilities, families spent an estimated $7.68 billion traveling with their children to youth-sports tournaments in the United States in 2011.
The proposed Seminole County facility would include 15 lighted fields with synthetic turf, suitable for baseball, softball, soccer, and lacrosse. The complex would also include a pavilion, walking paths, a playground, and a food-truck court. In addition to catering to athletic tourism, county officials noted, the complex would open its doors to local residents as well, allowing them use of the fields and other facility amenities.

A grant of more than $2.52 million has been awarded to an assistant professor of kinesiology at Kansas State University, who aims to compare the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) with usual Army physical readiness training among active-duty military personnel.
The professor, Katie Heinrich, received the grant from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Her study, she said in a press release from the university, could shed light on the issue of obesity in the military because of the potential HIIT offers for promoting fat loss through increased post-exercise fat metabolism.
“A study that looks at the effects of HIIT in comparison with a rigorous exercise program like that of the U.S. military is deeply significant for the fitness industry,” said Eric Willin, COO of EZFacility, a fitness center management software developer in Woodbury, New York. “Given the popularity of HIIT-focused programs, an understanding of how they compare with Army-style exercising could help gym, health club, and fitness center owners better understand how, where, and how much to incorporate and promote HIIT in their facilities.”
According to the university’s pres release, Heinrich and her team will work with the Command and General Staff College and Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Wilmington College, in Wilmington, Ohio, recently broke ground on an $8.4 million Center for Sport Sciences. A multi-purpose facility featuring medical services for athletes, athletic training areas, classrooms, labs, indoor fields, and batting cages, the 41,000-square-foot complex is expected to begin operating by summer 2015.
In addition to its own offerings, the Center for Sport Sciences will include space for satellite offices of Beacon Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, Drayer Physical Therapy, and Clinton Memorial Hospital.
Athletic training and sports management are two of the most popular majors at Wilmington College, where nearly 45 percent of the 1,100 students enrolled at the main campus are involved in intercollegiate athletics. Terry Rupert, vice president for athletics administration, told the Cincinnati Business Courier that “the center will directly impact well over half of [the college’s] student body as they engage in their academic, athletic, and recreational pursuits, and will be an especially appealing attraction for prospective students.”
“It makes good sense for a sports facility at an educational institution to approach athletics holistically, with an eye toward teaching sports science and providing medical services to athletes,” said Eric Willin, COO, a sports facility management software developer in Woodbury, NY. “We look forward to seeing this center in action once construction is complete.”
The athletic training portion of Wilmington’s new facility will include two in-ground hydrotherapy pools, electrical muscle stimulators, and cryo-compression and ultrasound units. The practice spaces will feature an indoor, multi-use field with artificial turf and batting cages. The facility will open to an outdoor, lighted field with artificial turf for a range of sports.

Citizens Business Bank Arena, in Ontario, California, has become the first professional hockey arena in the United States to use recycled water. For the 2014-15 season of the Ontario Reign hockey team, the arena will create its ice rink out of recycled water while also using recycled water for the facility’s cooling towers. The initiative will result in an estimated savings of 5 million gallons of drinking water per year.
Citizens Business Bank Arena said in a release that it has taken several steps to cut its yearly water consumption, including installing low-flow faucets and waterless urinals. The news comes at a time when California is in a drought state of emergency, with rivers and reservoirs at record-low levels.
Eric Willin, COO, of EZFacility, a sports facility management software developer in Woodbury, New York, praised the effort, noting a recent spike in news of sports-related businesses finding more sustainable ways of operating. In addition, the move might positively influence individuals in the community and other businesses, Eric Willin said: “Hopefully, Citizens Business Bank Arena will inspire others to find ways of conserving water as well.”
Participants in the project include the City of Ontario and the Inland Empire Utilities agency, which is providing the recycled water, Citizens Business Bank arena said. The arena noted that it has been using recycled water for irrigation since 2008.