Family matters: exploring the family dynamic when issuing recreation and aquatic facility passes.

Recreation facilities provide a fun, safe and neutral environment for communication and interaction between family members. Municipal recreation facilities are developed and designed to encourage use by members of the community, so it becomes important for park and recreation departments to understand the community it serves.

Managers of municipal recreation facilities define families differently for the purpose of pricing membership sales and establishing fee policies, however, times have changed and so have Families. The traditional (nuclear) definition of a family unit is becoming less common in our society. It has changed to accommodate the atypical legal guardian structure that was established to allow insurance and benefits to cover the expanded definition of a family.

The definitions of family for the sake of pricing memberships and including dependents in memberships differ among states and communities. Thus, it is very likely that individual recreation facilities will have very different definitions of a "family."

A common practice in aquatic facilities is to define a family unit as people who live at the same physical address, as is done by the City of Denver aquatics program. Christina Kestler, the aquatics coordinator for Denver Parks and Recreation indicated that their original family pass was open for eight members living at the same residence.

The pass was later limited to six individuals for a cost of $75. The department trusts the individual purchasing the summer aquatic family pass to provide up to six names for the pass. Though a nephew or niece may end up on the occasional pass, the managers of the 16 facilities have never experienced outright abuse of the opportunity.

"The organization believes that the definition of family as those residing at the same location is open enough that almost any existing family situation--either traditional or non-traditional--has access to this excellent deal for accessing the city pool system," says Kestler.

Though a residential definition is common in many communities, it is not likely used by most of the facilities limited to a single metropolis. At this point some the following questions should be considered:

* Is it time for the recreation facilities to change their definition of a family unit to better suit the community recreational needs?

* Is any single recreation facility's definition of a family unit more correct than another?

* What are some examples of how facilities define a family?

Trends on the Definition of Family

A recent survey conducted on the NRPA Web site asked recreation professionals to answer the question, "What policy is used at your facility to define family memberships?" Some responses include:

* "Family includes a married couple or single parent and all dependent children, exchange students, minor children of divorced members and foster children. Not included are baby sitters, visiting relatives and non-married adults living at the same residence."

* "We define a family as those living in the same household on a full-time basis. We start with two residents, then add a fee for each additional member."

* "Our definition of a family is anyone claimed on their federal income tax return. Two adults living together are required to get individual passes."

* "Family passes are identified as a parent(s) and any unmarried children age 21 or younger living at home. Children age 22 and older, and any other relative or individual, may not be included."

* "A household is defined as two adults and dependent children age 18 or younger, with a maximum of six per household."

* "Family passes are for two directly related people and their children. stepchildren or exchange students, age 19 or younger, who reside at the same address."

* "We can call it a household pass. This includes anyone who lives in the same household. This defines all types of relationships--we think that traditional definitions of family no longer apply."

The findings of this informal survey demonstrate that there are many definitions of families for the purpose of family memberships used by a variety of municipal recreation departments.

John Whitmore from Denton (Texas) Parks and Recreation indicated that to develop their definition of family for the purpose of offering aquatic family passes, they reviewed the park department policies in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and based their language on these practices.

The definition for family in their community is "a family (up to four) residing at the same address." The use of the phrase "residing at the same location" is tied to the tax system that supports park and recreation operations. This can also assist the organization to differentiate residential pass sales from non-residential pass sales.

Though this is the official definition, family members residing at different locations may be able to be included on the same pass. These situations are reviewed on a case-by-case basis so that no family arrangement is treated unfairly and that the family pass opportunity is not abused.

As families change it is crucial for park and recreation organizations to adjust policies and definitions of a family to better suit the needs of their patrons. It is also imperative for recreation or aquatic facilities to understand how a family is defined in order to prepare and promote inclusive programs for all family members, and to have family friendly language.

A poll of Texas public and private recreation facilities was taken to find out the answers to the following questions: "Do you offer a family membership pass?" and "What are the requirements for a family membership pass?" The responses are noted in the chart on the right.

Some of the cities did not have a recreation center and in a few cases, certain facilities did not offer family membership. Of the 10 cities that have a recreation facility, only seven offer a family membership. Five cities require the family live in the same household, while one city requires the family members must be claimed as dependents on taxes.

Three private recreation facilities were surveyed. One facility required family members to be claimed on taxes while the other two facilities provided responses that did not define a family, They said no matter the situation a membership plan could be worked out.

The family that plays together stays together. So are recreation facilities making it easy for them to do so? As first suspected, different facilities provided different definitions of families for the purpose of family membership sales. The most popular definition of a family is still persons living in the same household. The second most popular response is anyone claimed as dependants on federal income taxes.

The municipal recreation centers had a clearer definition of a family for membership sales while the private companies had more loose definitions of a family for family pass sales. No one definition of a family is correct or all encompassing. Family memberships will continue to be a hot topic and as families continue to change, aquatic facility definitions will also change.

Adam Adams, the director of Trophy Club, Texas Parks and Recreation explains that his community will continue to grow and the residential population will transition over time. This will require the staff and park board to revisit many issues including traditional and non-traditional definitions that guide services, operations and memberships to park resources.

He says, "We all work to ensure that no individual, organization, association or community entity 'like the family' is discriminated against or has its recreation opportunities limited in comparison to other residents."

By Caroline Seward and Joseph Walker, Ph.D.

Texas Cities and Family Dynamics

                      Does the         Does the Facility
                      City have a      Facility Offer
                      Recreation       a Family
Facility              Facility         Membership

City of Dallas        yes              no
City of Plano         yes              no
City of Hurst         yes              yes
City of Lewisville    yes              yes
City of Carrollton    yes              yes
City of Denton        yes              yes
City of Arlington     yes              no
City of Grapevine     yes              yes
City of Allen         yes              yes
City of Colleyville   yes              yes
Keller Pointe         yes              yes
Lifetime Fitness      yes              yes
24 Hour Fitness       yes              yes

                      Requirement      Requirement
                      for Membership   for Membership
                      is Same          is Claim on
Facility              Household        Taxes

City of Dallas        N/A
City of Plano
City of Hurst         yes
City of Lewisville    no
City of Carrollton    yes
City of Denton        yes
City of Arlington
City of Grapevine     yes
City of Allen                          yes
City of Colleyville   yes
Keller Pointe                          yes
Lifetime Fitness      no               no
24 Hour Fitness       no               no