Salt Lake City - National Recreation and Park Association Congress site - includes exhibitor listing

Parks & Recreation, Sept, 1997

It's hard to imagine a more appropriate place than Utah, which bills itself as nature's playground, for a group of recreation and leisure professionals to congregate. No wonder this state boasts the healthiest population in the nation--the opportunities for adventure and exercise are endless.

Try rafting on the Colorado, Green or San Juan rivers, mountain-biking the famous slickrock trails in Moab, rock climbing or bouldering on granite canyon walls, or hiking among a breathtaking display of wildflowers in any one of countless national parks. Salt Lake City is also home to innumerable health and fitness clubs and over 20 area golf courses.

Although the state of Utah features over 60 established religious groups, Salt Lake is automatically associated with Mormonism. But the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is far from the only attraction to draw would-be visitors to the jewel city of Utah. Throngs of National Recreation and Park Association delegates will discover this for themselves next month as they converge on Salt Lake for the 32nd Congress for Recreation and Parks.

More than 4,000 park, recreation and leisure professionals and citizen advocates will gather in Utah's glorious capital city, October 29-November 2, for an intense round of instruction, seminars, institutes, networking, and--oh, yes--some serious fun.

Seeing Salt Lake City for the first time, bathed in the shadows of the monstrous Wasatch and Oquirrh Mountain Ranges, one can almost hear the simple but prophetic words Brigham Young uttered upon discovering the valley, "This is the right place."

Salt Lake City was founded on July 24, 1847, by a group of Mormon pioneers--the first non-Indians to settle permanently in the valley--led by Young. Within a handful of days, the group of 148 settlers had drawn up plans for Great Salt Lake City, named after the salty inland lake that dominated the desert to the west.

During the ensuing decade, more emigrants, many of them European converts to Mormonism, came to the valley. They brought with them their unique culture, languages and skills, transforming Salt Lake into an eclectic, cosmopolitan city.

Today, Salt Lake City is a hub of economic, recreational and cultural activity. Within walking distance of one another downtown are Historic Temple Square, home of the Mormon Tabernacle; Maurice Abravanel Concert Hall; Hansen Planetarium; and the Delta Center, dwelling place of Karl Malone and the NBA's Utah Jazz.

Dining in Salt Lake City is an epicurean delight, with close to 100 restaurants offering tantalizing ethnic taste choices from Afghan to Russian, regional favorites and Southwestern spicy numbers, and a number of casual, laid-back brew pubs that serve fresh-crafted ales and stouts along with pub fare and appetizers.

The city doesn't lock up after the sun goes down, either. Prowl the clubs and nightspots to find some country-western line dancing, a little cool blues or hot jazz, or the big game on a big screen. In addition to all the fun and excitement, NRPA delegates will experience a dizzying array of opportunities intended to enhance and encourage growth, both personal and professional. There are hundreds of education sessions, pre-Congress institutes, special focus seminars, and on-site institutes. Continuing education units (CEUs) provide opportunities for certification, re-certification or to simply gain fresh perspectives in any one of an abundance of topics related to the parks, recreation and leisure field.

INSTITUTES

NRPA features eight pre-Congress institutes this year, with a panel of expert presenters speaking on topics from information technology to youth development programs.

NRPA PLAYGROUND SAFETY INSPECTOR CERTIFICATION COURSE & EXAM

Monday-Tuesday, October 27-28 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission, 200,000 children were treated for playground accidents in 1994. Of these, 70 percent occurred at public parks and school yards.

How does your equipment measure up? How many preventable injuries occurred in your parks?

Sponsored by the NRPA National Playground Safety Institute, this course is a comprehensive training program on playground hazard identification and risk-management methods. Advanced reading and 10 hours of training will prepare you to sit for the Certified Playground Safety Inspector Exam at the end of the course.

AQUATIC RECREATION THERAPY INSTITUTE

Monday-Tuesday, October 27-28 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday, October 29 8:30-11:45 a.m.

Experienced practitioners from a variety of settings and therapy fields will present on various aquatic therapy interventions for individuals with orthopedic, neurological, and psychological disabilities. Emphasis will be placed on starting an aquatic therapy program, measuring outcomes, and documentation of interventions for program justification. Participants will identify PNF techniques in the water and perform basic techniques of Watsu; identify the researched psychological benefits of aquatic therapy using swimming and exercise techniques; and describe the process of developing individualized aquatic exercise programs.