Sports make Green Mountain state great

Parks & Recreation, April, 2004

With Lake Champlain on one side and the allure of Stowe and the Green Mountains on the other, South Burlington is perfectly positioned as a sports and leisure haven. As its designation as a Sportstown implies, this community has made the most of its location, resources, and internal enthusiasm.

The role of the South Burlington Recreation Department (SBRD) is simple--to provide a comprehensive program of activities and services for the residents and taxpayers of its community. Its goal is to provide a safe and enjoyable environment, foster a low-key and appropriate level of competition in the presence of well-trained staff and volunteers, and allocate available resources in a manner that best accommodates the needs of everyone. The SBRD's partnership with the city's school district provides the organization with multiple indoor facilities; in turn, the department offers the school district additional outdoor playing fields.

Lifelong participation is a manifest aim of the department, which enjoys a long-standing relationship with the school district's office of special education to help facilitate accommodations for participants with special needs. Adaptations are made where appropriate and safe, and the department works with families and local agencies to secure additional aides wherever necessary. In addition, the department works with school guidance counselors to provide scholarship aid and support to families who cannot afford registration fees. The SBRD provides opportunities for lifelong learning by building and promoting the intrinsic value of sports participation in all its activities.

The SBRD is particularly careful in the area of balancing competition with recreation, with strong emphasis on the latter prevailing. No tournaments or awards are given for participation in recreation sports; introductory programs do not feature keeping score or standings, and in some cases coaches are on the floor of the field along with participants to encourage the development of basic skills. Specific rules are instituted in order to ensure the adherence to proper orientation and intent of all sports programs. Specific rules are instituted in youth leagues to ensure that all participants receive equal playing time regardless of ability.

The department's stated priorities reflect a smaller town's ideal--high quality and careful growth. The SBRD seeks to expand quality programs, retain well-trained staff and volunteers, and feature quality, well-maintained facilities. The department has adopted the standards of the National Alliance for Youth Sports, the National Youth Sports Coaches Association (NYSCA) Code of Ethics for coaches, parents, and participants, American Sport Education Program (ASEP) guidelines, and the Bill of Rights for Young Athletes.

Building character and self-esteem in young people are central to the SBRD's mission. The chief values the department aims to instill include a sense of being involved and belonging, courage and the willingness to try new things, fellowship and friendships, the setting of goals and teamwork. Being positive and supportive of others, developing leadership qualities, and being a good role model are the anticipated results of participants' experiences in SBRD programs.

Significant improvements have been made to outdoor facilities in the past five years. The Youth Baseball Program has raised funds specifically for improvements to hall fields. The Parks Department has provided labor, machinery, and supplemental monies in order to keep the city's baseball fields in top condition. Recently, electronic scoreboards have been erected at each of the baseball fields in the city park; in this collaborative effort, the city provided labor, equipment, and supplies for getting power to the fields. The results are already evident; the Vermont State Little League Tournament was held in South Burlington last year and the Babe Ruth New England Regional Tournament will be played in the city in the summer of 2004.

Wherever needed, the SBRD directly sponsors, coordinates, or partners with local organizations to provide additional recreation opportunities. An example is the partnership established with the Dorset Park Skating Association, a non-profit group that worked with the SBRD to erect two ice arenas on department land within the city park. The DPSA raised the money to build and fund the projects, while the city provided the land and built the infrastructure for the projects. Today, the rinks operate early in the morning to very late at night, twelve months a year.

The department is fortunate to have a great amount of support for recreation within the community and a long-term commitment from its residents to continue enhancing and expanding opportunities in a variety of disciplines. At the same time, South Burlington is lucky to be the beneficiary of a grass-roots-style recreation organization with a comprehensive, sensitive, and practical approach to delivering program participants with an unparalleled experience--one that never fades.