Providence Recreation Advisory Board reviews 2024, sets 2025 goals for leagues, swim, volunteers and facilities

The Providence Recreation Advisory Board on Feb. 10 reviewed 2024 participation data and department improvements and discussed priorities for 2025, including expanding the fledgling city soccer league, boosting girls' basketball participation, launching swim lessons and a splash pad, and continuing rollouts of online registration and maintenance tracking.

The discussion centered on why the department is pushing system upgrades and program expansion now. Steven, Recreation Department staff, presented attendance and operations data showing the Rogers facility logged “just a little under 18,000” visits in 2024 — an average of about 60 people per day — and described how new digital tools are being used to measure use and plan services.

The board used the data to focus on three near-term program goals: develop the youth soccer league into a multi-site program with community partners; refine the Youth Basketball Development League schedule and registration so parents know practice and game days earlier; and expand swim programming, including lessons scheduled to begin March 10.

Mike Collins, director at Madeline Rogers Recreation Center, described local program work and outreach at Rogers: “I have a great, great staff. They always…