Happy Friday, and happy first day of fall!
Here’s a look at all of the stories that really caught the eyes of AB’s editorial team this week:
We began announcing the outstanding facilities that earned our 2017 Facilities of Merit awards this week.
Check out each of these cool 'glideshow' presentations we put together for each facility for photos, comments from judges, facility info and more.
Kline Athletic Center, Dickinson College
Aqua Sports & Spa, Tokyo, Japan
Merrimack Valley YMCA, Andover, Mass.
Roberts Pavilion, Claremont McKenna College
Great Plains Recreation Center, Calgary, Alb.
This is only half of the list! Check AB Today next week as we continue to reveal this year’s award winners, and view past winners here.
Now, to the news highlights...
- A chippy high school football game devolved into a brawl that police broke up with pepper spray. More, including video from the field here.
- Perhaps unsurprisingly, equipment at fitness facilities is teeming with bacteria, according to a new study. (Free weights have 362 times more bacteria than a toilet seat? YIKES!)
- Multi-use aquatic centers face a unique challenge: combining the demands of performance-based competition with those of community-based leisure offerings under one roof. How can you make sure your aquatic center meets the challenge? Check out this article from our September issue for some advice.
- Five football players at Wheaton (Ill.) College were charged with felonies related to a 2016 hazing incident. Hank Nuwer, author of several books on the subject, says “there is no acceptable level” of hazing.
- A young girl was struck by a foul ball at Yankee Stadium, reigniting calls for improved safety measures at ballparks.
Elsewhere on the internet…
- Wall Street Journal: How Much Is Your College Football Team Worth?
- San Francisco Chronicle: How California puts high school athletes at great risk
- Entrepreneur: Why Fitness Franchises Are Booming
Have you checked out the Ultimate AB Workout Playlist yet? It’s an eclectic mix of top tunes submitted by you, our readers, and it’s a great companion for your next sweat session. Check it out, and contribute your own song here. We're continually accepting contributions, so keep 'em coming!
Did we miss anything this week? Email me with news tips and story ideas: jason@athleticbusiness.com
