Celebrating 50 years of community sports with Sports Illustrated and NRPA

Parks & Recreation, Feb, 2004 by Kevin Beck

The Sioux Falls Parks and Recreation Department (SFPRD) city sports coordinator also administers indoor and outdoor volleyball programs, open gyms, tournaments and indoor adult basketball leagues. Sioux Falls has been aggressive in updating facilities to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards, and compliance with the rules of every association within the SFPRD means allowing anyone who wishes to participate the opportunity to do so. Rules are in place for special-needs players--both of the city's family aquatic centers are accessible to any special-needs person, and after school programs are accessible to all special-needs participants.

On the whole, the city's philosophy leans toward emphasizing recreation over competition. For example, every child must play one full quarter in football, and all players in softball must bat once before anyone comes to the plate a second time. By no means do these inclusive, instructive practices exist at a cost to competitive play. Non-competitive activities are given scheduling priority, but a full slate of competitive sports--basketball, football, softball, baseball and volleyball among them--are made available to youngsters and adults.

State-of-the-art facilities, good sportsmanship and diligent maintenance form the cornerstone of Sioux Falls' recreation philosophy. Use of all facilities is free to all residents under age 18. A code of conduct for parents, coaches and participants remains in place in all 26 athletic associations. As a corollary to the city's emphasis on maintaining quality venues for sports and leisure, safety is targeted from all angles--maintenance inspections are done weekly to ensure all facilities are devoid of safety issues; recreation staff--both part-time and full-time--must pass a drug test prior to hire and also must be available for random drug testing; and all part-time personnel are fingerprinted.

Sioux Falls seeks to create and promote Unity, spirit and understanding within the community. High schoolers who compete against one another during the academic year often find themselves on the same teams in summer leagues, underscoring the importance of a sportsmanship-oriented approach. A contagious sense of goodwill means that sporting events are extremely well-attended, and this in turn has enabled the city to host numerous local, regional, state and even national events and tournaments over the years.

The city is responsive to community members' recreational needs and interests, and relies on the generosity of individuals and private organizations in order to continue developing and expanding is resources. A 2000 needs assessment demonstrated that 92 percent of survey respondents claimed a definite interest in sports and recreation, a level of appreciation for active lifestyles that in the past five years has resulted in, among other things, the donation of 160 acres of land for the development of seven baseball and eight softball fields. Programs especially for older residents--such as the Senior Games (a multi-event competition) and Senior Chair aerobics classes--are in place, with new programming added regularly.