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In Memoriam: Dale S. Dibble


Industry mourns a legendary club owner, operator, and innovator


> Dale S. Dibble, an industry innovator and one of IHRSA’s earliest advisors, passed away in Naples, Florida, in mid-December after having suffered from a heart condition for many years. Dibble and his wife, Olive Mae, who


survives him, graduated from Liberty Bell High School in Winthrop, Washington, and attended Washington State University, where they majored in the sciences. He received his bachelor’s of science degree in 1943 and a physics degree in 1944. In 1971, Dibble cofounded Cedardale


Health and Fitness, in Haverhill, Massa- chusetts, with the husband and wife team of Ed and Zoe Veasey, and tennis pro Cliff George. The business began life as a 31,000-square-foot tennis facility on three-and-a-half acres, with 400 members; today, Cedardale is one of the largest multipurpose fitness centers in New England, at 180,000 square feet on 45 acres, with a membership of 5,000. (See “30-Plus Years of Success!” on pg. 43.) Dibble and George


later sold their interest in Cedardale to the Veaseys. “Dale really created


Dale S. Dibble


the multisport club by converting a plain-vanilla indoor tennis building with four courts into a multifaceted operation,” says Rick Caro, the president of Management


Vision, Inc. “He taught everyone in the industry the value of regular change.” Dibble was well known throughout


the industry for his visionary approach to club management, his unwavering commitment to the member experience, and his willingness to share best prac- tices, even with his direct competitors. His impact on the club community was


so extraordinary that IHRSA established its highest award, the Dale S. Dibble Distin- guished Service Award, in his honor. The distinction is bestowed annually upon an IHRSA member “who’s excelled in their contributions to the industry and IHRSA.” —|


28 Club Business Internat ional Training


What Women Want: Weights! By Patricia Glynn


G


lance into the free-weights room at most clubs and you’ll find plenty of men amid the iron and steel. Conversely, what you probably won’t see are women—at least, not appreciably.


For Rachel Cosgrove, author of The Female Body Breakthrough, and co-owner of


Santa Clarita, California’s Results Fitness, a 4,000-square-foot hybrid facility, this phenomenon is both a bit of an anomaly and a tremendous missed opportunity for clients and clubs. Given its multiple payoffs (e.g., increased bone density and metabolism), and


considering that adults, beginning at age 30, lose muscle mass as they age, “You would almost expect the opposite trend—women domi- nating the weight room,” suggests Cosgrove. But the reality, she bemoans, is woefully different. According to data from the National Center for Health


Statistics, a division of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only about 21% of women engage in strength-training. Cosgrove estimates the figure to be close to just “20 out of every 1,000 gym members.” She blames the disparity on a mixture of misinformation (the pervasive fear of becoming “bulky”) and apprehen- sion (lack of knowledge coupled with anxiety about appearing inept). Of course, it’s not just the women who are losing out.


“By not catering to this demographic, and by not creating an environment conducive to their needs,” clubs are sacrificing significant revenue, Cosgrove points out. “Women,” she observes, “are far more apt to pay for personal training, for example. Females are a huge market and they’re controlling more and more of consumer spending. Too many clubs think women only want aerobics. But I have many women coming to me either for training or for a recommendation for a female-friendly facility. This is a sizeable, interested market!” Unfortunately, as she points out, it’s an oft-neglected one. The question, then, is: how might the trend be reversed? Cosgrove, whose own clientele is nearly 75% female, suggests some potential fixes:


Educate. “Women oftentimes aren’t sure how to proceed. And they aren’t sure why they should be lifting in the first place. Clubs need to educate them. They also need to educate their staff. A lot of trainers really don’t know how to challenge women with effective programming.”


Designate a training area and make it inviting. “Segregation isn’t requisite, but women appreciate a separate corner outfitted with suitable accoutrements (e.g., dumbbells, benches, weighted bars, squat rack). And, instead of the typical black- and-grey color scheme, use brighter shades to make the area more appealing.”


Offer semi-personal training. “It’s attractively less expensive and ideal for women who don’t necessarily desire one-on-one attention. Another option is to offer something akin to our ‘Jeans Challenge.’ It’s an eight-week ‘get-back-into- your-skinny-jeans’ curriculum and we see upwards of 40 women participating every time we run it. Specialized group programming attracts women and is a great way to get them started with weight-training.”—|


– Patricia Glynn, p.glynn@fit-etc.com | FEBRUARY 2011 | www. ihrsa.org


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