I wish I had been a Parks and Rec Kid. I was not. I made up for it by being a Parks and Rec Adult. Growing up on a farm in the shadow of a strong Puritan work ethic, I did not hear about parks and recreation as a setting or a career until I was an adult. My family loved parks, and we were a “4-H Family.” We presumed, however, that parks and recreation was a city thing.
I majored in physical education in college. I liked sports and wanted to be a teacher. However, I did not have a positive student teaching experience. I was teaching 7th graders how to serve a tennis ball. I lost control of the class as they were laughing and being silly junior high girls. My supervising teacher reprimanded me. At that moment I realized that I did not care if they served correctly. I did care that they were having fun. A subsequent career aptitude test revealed that “recreation worker” was a good fit for me. The rest, as they say, is history. I have dedicated my career to advocating for parks and recreation and all that it offers.
Being a Parks and Rec Kid refers to the “I’m a Park and Rec KidSM” campaign launched by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) in 2015 to encourage people to share their positive experiences in local parks and recreation programs. The campaign highlighted the value of parks and recreation as it relates to positive youth development. One of the stories that emerged was that Venus and Serena Williams began their tennis careers on public tennis courts in Compton, CA. Other athletes were introduced to their sports in their local communities before moving on to higher level participation.
I will always advocate for the significant value of public parks and recreation. Tax money pays for the programs that are open to all residents. Economic, environmental, and social benefits include creating jobs, improving public health, building strong communities, and protecting natural resources. They enhance the quality of life by making towns and cities more attractive places to live, work, and visit. As the California campaign advocated years ago, “Parks Make Life Better!”
Public lands and recreation have traditionally been a unifying force. They are bipartisan issues with broad verbal support across the political spectrum for their protection and funding, especially at the local and state levels. More funding, however, is required to nurture a whole new generation of parks and rec kids (and adults).