In Brief

Texas Tech University

Texas Tech University students kicked off summer last month in the school's new $8.25 million outdoor aquatics complex. The facility features an outdoor pool with a slide and diving board, a hot tub that seats 20 people, water volleyball and basketball areas, and a “bubble couch” aquatic bench with massage jets. Access to the pool is free for enrolled students and $75 for those not currently enrolled.

UFC Gym

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and New Evolution Fitness Co. (NEFC) announced last month that the first UFC Gym will be located in Concord, CA (see cover story). The gym combines mixed martial arts and fitness, and it will be located near NEFC co-founders Mark Mastrov and Jim Rowley, both of whom are from the East Bay in Northern California. The gym is expected to open in October.

YMCA

After a failed fundraising effort designed to pay off its debts, the Central Valley YMCA board of directors closed the downtown Fresno, CA, YMCA branch at the end of May. Membership at the Fresno Y fell from about 700 members in 2004 to fewer than 500 in 2009. Y officials said the club never recovered from losing members after closing its pool in 2005. Membership also has declined as the city's residents moved away from downtown.

Air Force

In response to an internal audit of its fitness program, the Air Force announced that airmen will take a physical fitness test twice a year, beginning in January 2010. Most reservists or guardsmen will continue taking the fitness test once a year. The changes are expected to help improve the overall health levels of Air Force personnel and save on military health insurance costs.