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Lakewood recreation department marks 100 years; officials cite rising youth participation, pool plans and volunteer recruitment
Summary
Recreation officials told the Lakewood Board of Education the department is celebrating its 100th year, is seeing rising youth-sport participation, has a Beck's Pool construction plan for 2027, and is expanding lifeguard training and volunteer/umpire certification efforts to meet demand.
Mark Walter and Leslie Favor Krogman presented a centennial update from the Lakewood recreation department to the board on Nov. 24, outlining participation growth, programming priorities and operational responsibilities that support the school district.
Walter said the department's "North Star" is to "have fun, build friendships, and improve skills," and noted partnerships with varsity coaches, community groups and the Lakewood Ranger Education Foundation. Leslie Favor Krogman highlighted participation spikes: "Basketball, as of today, I checked the registration, we have 488 in house youth basketball participants registered with a total of 560 individual participants," and she contrasted a recent year-to-year rise in girls registrations (from 42 to 76 in one league).
Officials described pool and facility activity: Foster Pool (new in 2023) drove a large increase in participation and the department has a Beck's Pool construction plan slated for 2027. They said the department managed 3,102 permits this year for facility use and coordinates lifeguard certification and placements; "we had over a 160 lifeguards this past year alone," Krogman said.
To address shortages of referees and umpires, the department has worked with local associations and created a plan to certify youth referees through PE programming and to run free coach clinics with varsity players and coaches. Walter said fundraising and a recent $7,500 Healthy Lakewood Foundation grant help provide scholarships for families.
Board members questioned logistics for SALT team visits and whether increased youth use pressures adult programs; presenters said they are balancing field and gym availability. The board thanked the recreation staff for the report and for coordinating programming that supports district athletics and community access to facilities.
