Skate Park Programming: What To Do After You've Built The Park By Cassandra Bruno and Jodie Howard City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation & Parks Spring 2003 Volume 59, No. 2 Page 38

Skateboarding is here to stay. No longer is it just an alternative sport. It has now become mainstream – a career, an art. Many parks and recreation departments are in the market to open skate parks for their communities. Often departments are given information about building and designing, staffing and problem-solving coalitions. But what happens after the skate park opens? How are we as recreators going to build relationships with the skate world? How are we going to keep skaters coming back for more while learning citizenship, self-esteem, confidence, respect, dedication, commitment, good work ethics, expression, focus and so much more? Skate park programming can make the difference between just answering a need and providing a service for the community.

Programming is the key to recreation and can also be applied to skate parks. With programming we can promote skateboarding safely, help youth build friendships and confidence, create community ownership and aid youth in developing. Not sure where to start, we suggest these ten components: memberships, safety gear, volunteer park committees, classes, skate camps, skate teams, newsletters, parties, designated skate times, competitions and demonstrations.

Memberships
Membership provides ownership, acknowledgement and control over a skate park. City departments are often concerned with liability. Waivers are an important part in protecting your department. Keep in mind youth are often innovative and mischievous. It is suggested that your staff either witness a parent/ legal guardian’s signature for those under the age of eighteen or require the form to be notarized. ID cards are an important tool in building relationships, accountability, pride and ownership. Using a Polaroid I-zone camera, a pre-printed card with city logo, skater’s name, phone, and birthdate on it and a small lamenating machine, you have all the tools you need to make cards. If you have a larger budget, a digital camera or card making system can be purchased.

Safety Gear
Safety gear is an essential component in complying with state and federal liability provisions. If you decide to loan or rent out safety gear, this gear should be sprayed with disinfectant after each use and should be washed weekly. Most brands may be washed on a gentle cycle.
Committees

To increase ownership and program success, find skaters of all ages and backgrounds who are avid users of and dedicated to the park to be on a volunteer park committee. Hold regular meetings and let them get involved in the programming aspects. They can be a valuable resource in enforcing rules, finding instructors and judges and developing and running competitions.

Classes
To develop self-esteem and confidence, skateboard classes provide new skaters with measurable levels of achievement. It is suggested that skaters be divided by the following six skill levels based on the type of tricks and level of difficulty: 1st Level – safety, basics of skateboarding, kicking, pushing, rolling, balancing, tic tacs; 2nd Level – kick turns, 180’s, fakies, manuals, rock to fakie, rolling off; 3rd Level – ollies, shuvits, rock n roll, dropping-in, 180 ollie; 4th Level – bigger drop-ins, basic flips, stanch switch, advanced stalls, ollie control; 5th Level – board slides, advanced skills from above; 6th Level – grinding, more advanced skills from above. As youth progress through these classes they will feel a sense of accomplishment and confidence. In-line skaters can also be divided by skill level: Beginner – safety, basics of skating, changing directions, crossing over backwards and forwards; Advanced – skating up and down inclines, quarter pipes, dropping-in, grinding front side, backside and soul grind, rolling away and more.

Skate Camps
In addition to offering classes, we suggest offering skate camps during the summer months. Although the focus is primarily on skateboarding each day, it is important to offer other activities to compliment their hard work and dedication. The basic concepts of day camp can be applied to your planning of these camps. Your first day should always have an emphasis on finding out who the campers are, introduce them to each other and discovering what they want to achieve and learn. As in all camps, water activities are a treat on hot summer days, field trips are exciting, and games and obstacle courses provide diversity in program. The end of the program should always be about the celebration of accomplishment: parties, awards, photos and of course, lots of fun. Good awards to give out on the last day may include: most dedicated to the sport, awesome style, most improved, extremely determined, willing to try new tricks, unwavering drive, etc.

Skate Teams
Skate teams can also be a great way to get youth involved. You may even try to find a local skate shop to “sponsor” the team. Invite other parks (perhaps neighboring cities) to a competition between park teams. Hold practice sessions as a time for only the skate team to practice. At competitions the team can do demonstrations.

Newsletters
Newsletters are an effective way to not only get the skaters involved, but the community and the parents too. Be sure to include all events, competitions, classes, and camps. Announce winners of competitions or team members, have youth on volunteer committee write trick tips (info can be easily found on the internet), have veteran skaters write articles teaching skate park rules of etiquette for younger skaters, and feature artwork by park users.

Parties
During non-public use hours you may find that the community may want to have birthday parties at the skate park. You can offer a party package that may include: instruction, games, obstacle courses, competitions, demonstrations, and most importantly this groups would receive private use of the skate park.

Skate Times
It is important to keep in mind that your park will have many different types of skaters. Because of this it is often beneficial to have designated skate times for special groups such as, 12 and under, 18 and over, girls, skate team, and possibly BMX biking. Each group has different needs and often the older skaters will scare away the younger skaters.

Competitions
There probably isn’t a better way to increase the excitement level at a skate park than by having a competition. Skate park usage may increase due to skaters perfecting their best tricks while preparing for the upcoming competition.Competitions can also be arranged between skate parks by taking the top winners in each category and traveling to other local parks for inter-park competitions against their top winners. For more information on how to run a skate park competition, click here.

Demonstrations
There are a few more items to consider when planning your skate event. It is helpful to have an event schedule posted, listing division start times and the award ceremony. Also consider, whether or not you have any demo’s to include in your schedule. Designate a registration or check-in area for your contestants. Be sure that your music is properly screened and ready to go. Music is an important component to the skate culture and is an item that should not be overlooked. Most importantly be sure to have drinks and snacks ready for judges, contestants, and staff. It is sure to be an exciting and eventful day. Work hard for your community and they will work hard to grow, develop, and become better citizens.

Conclusion
Many of these components can be adopted to work with inline skaters and BMX riders. Remember to include them in your programming. All details are important when programming, but be sure to focus on these ten items and you will be able to reach a new demographic of your community as well as gain additional support for recreation in your city: memberships, safety gear, volunteer park committee, classes, skate camps, skate teams, newsletters, parties, designated skate times, competitions and demonstrations.