Celebrating 50 years of community sports with Sports Illustrated and NRPA

Parks & Recreation, Feb, 2004 by Kevin Beck

Scottsdale is known as one of the best golf destinations in the world. With more than 600 holes in a variety of settings, Scottsdale is the home of one of the most popular PGA events--the Phoenix Open. Locals and visitors alike indulge in the treat of playing on the same courses as the tournament professionals.

Reciprocal cooperation is a major contributor to the flourishing of Scottsdale's renowned youth sports programs. Local high schools lack swimming pools, so members of its swimming and diving teams use city facilities. By the same token, city community centers lack gymnasiums, so youth and adult program participants partake of high-school gyms in their endeavors. These arrangements are effected at no cost to either the school system or the city. All told, there are 36 local youth sports organizations encompassing hundreds of teams and some 17,000 individuals.

Adult sports programs are also bountiful, reaching nearly 300,000 citizens per year. These offerings include softball, baseball, basketball, flag football, tennis, racquetball and volleyball.

A division of the Scottsdale Parks, Recreation & Activities, Adapted Recreation Services, provides opportunities for adults, teens and children with disabilities to participate in various sports programs. Special Olympics programs for adults are provided annually, swimming is offered in the fall and basketball in the spring. Unified basketball is also available to adults with developmental disabilities as well as their non-disabled peers. The Lake Pleasant Outdoor Retreat, offered one weekend every spring, provides opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities to experience biking, boating and other outdoor recreation pursuits.

In the spirit of the new millennium, the Parks, Recreation & Activities segment of the city of Scottsdale's Web site, www.scottsdaleaz.gov, is updated often and thoroughly, keeping visitors posted on upcoming events, classes, sports and recreation programs and Scottsdale Stadium happenings and providing maps of trails as well as a directory of parks, pools and recreation centers.

Scottsdale is a city that is growing at a rapid rate by any measure, but most impressive of all is that its growth as a Sportstown not only keeps pace, but contributes to the area's flavor and allure in truly compelling ways.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.

Partnering Proves Successful for Sioux

In South Dakota's largest city (population 124,000), efficiency is the watchword when it comes to the programming and administration of community sports and recreation. Tax dollars earmarked for recreation are allocated judiciously to various associations and groups, and no financial resources go to waste. The efforts of a full-time city sports coordinator--chiefly responsible for facility scheduling and maintenance--form the backbone of a tightly integrated approach. Sioux Falls has relationships with 26 different athletic associations, four semi-professional teams, five high schools and two colleges in providing a wide range of sports. The city conservatively estimates there are 2,000 volunteer coaches within its programs.