TREMONTON – By Jessica Tanner – Jan. 24, 2020
With enough support Tremonton City could add a fitness court at Jeanie Stevens Park after finding out the city has qualified for a $30,000 National Grant Award as part of the 2020 Fit Cities Campaign—an initiative to install and activate fitness courts to provide free outdoor fitness for all.
The National Fitness Campaign started in 1979. Since then they have installed outdoor gyms that provide seven, seven-minute stations to create an ideal workout.
This year 2,000 certified ambassadors will be trained through the National Fitness Campaign to deliver classes, challenge, and clinics. Their goal is to build healthy communities and make outdoor fitness an essential part of people’s lives.
“This is a $130,000 program that would give us the whole fitness court, promotional and marketing kits, the fitness mobile app, court ambassador kit and training so we could do challenges and programs on the court. That also includes the freight, packing, and shipping,” Tremonton City Community Coordinator Marc Christensen said.
This year the National Fitness Campaign is offering 250 $30,000 grants, which Tremonton City qualifies for.
“I think it would be a great asset. They are working with me to see if corporations in the area would be a title sponsor for the court,” said Christensen. “This would be an impact fee eligible project since we would be expanding what the city has to offer. The city could put in $47,000 and if we were not able to get the other $53,000 from title sponsors then we would not continue.”
City staff is proposing it be installed at Jeanie Stevens Park just south of the stage. There are a couple old sheds they plan to move and would utilize the concrete pads. The court would be 32x32 feet with one-inch tile squares on top so it is a soft surface and would not be used in the winter.
“I have talked to local gym representatives and they think it would be a great asset,” said Christensen. “The gyms would be supportive of it. People could exercise outdoors in the summer and then in the winter utilize a gym membership.”
When asked about maintenance, Christensen said “the only moving parts are the cable rings everything else is pretty solid so it does not take a lot of maintenance. We (Parks and Recreation) are next door and staff would watch over it.”
As far as liability goes Christensen said, “It would be the same as our playgrounds. We would do our routine maintenance inspection and make sure all the cables are strong, and the nuts and bolts are tight.”
The city would recruit ambassadors trained by the National Fitness Campaign. For those who do not want to be coached there is a free app that takes people through each workout. If the city were programing citizens would have the opportunity join the free class.
The closest fitness court like this is in Avon, Colorado, but Heber City has gone through the application process and is working on financing their project.
“If you can get the outside community to support 50 percent of it, I think it is a great thing. I am all for it,” Tremonton City Councilman Brett Rohde said.
The rest of the council agreed and made a motion to accept the grant and move forward.