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Pharr parks staff announce promotions, report strong program participation and recap 5K turnout
Summary
Pharr Parks & Recreation reported staff promotions and program participation—swimming, baseball, soccer and youth basketball—and recapped an October 5K that organizers said drew more than 2,000 people; staff also outlined upcoming events including a March St. Patrick’s run and a city New Year’s Eve ball drop.
At a December meeting of Pharr’s Parks and Recreation Department, staff announced organizational promotions, gave participation updates across aquatics and youth sports, and recapped a well‑attended October 5K that organizers said drew more than 2,000 people.
The department’s aquatic supervisor, Adam Diaz, said pool facilities have been averaging “roughly around 300 people per day” for the month and noted a PSJA swim meet is scheduled for tomorrow at the Natatorium and a university swim meet is planned for February. “That’s it for aquatics,” Diaz said, inviting questions about lessons learned and upcoming meets.
Gabriel Yal, the new baseball supervisor, said winter baseball is under way in three divisions (4U, 6U, 8U) with about 18 teams and a little over 280 participants. Games are played at Woodin Park on weeknights, Yal said. Athletic supervisor Sergio Yana reported boys soccer has 30 teams across age groups and practices and games are held at the Far North Sportsplex. Registration for girls soccer ran Dec. 15 through Jan. 16 at a fee of $50 for residents and $60 for nonresidents, Yana said.
Janet Perea, one of the department’s new athletic supervisors, said she is overseeing girls basketball, which she said currently includes 23 teams and roughly 130 participants. Teams practice before games and use school gyms and the city center facility for contests.
Recreation supervisor Brianna Goyad said after‑school semester registration will be $100 and begins Jan. 7. She also described ongoing community programming: pickleball at the DRC (weeknights and weekend hours with a suggested $1 donation) and Zumba at the Pepe Salina Center on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 7–8 p.m.
The department also reviewed recent events. The Parks and Recreation director said the October 5K was “a really, really pleasant surprise” and that organizers recorded between about 1,600 and 1,800 registered runners and, including spectators, “over 2,000 people” in attendance. Staff said the run highlighted operational needs—additional lighting on downtown segments, a slightly condensed route for next year and coordination with the timing vendor—and praised event staff for handling multiple concurrent city events.
Looking ahead, the director said planning is already under way for the twentieth annual St. Patrick’s Day run, targeted for March 7 with an 8 a.m. start at the water park, and announced a New Year’s Eve ball drop outside City Hall beginning at 6 p.m. with live music through midnight.
Votes at a glance: The board recorded procedural votes to excuse absent members, approve the August 2025 meeting minutes and adjourn the session; vote tallies were recorded as affirmative in each instance and motions carried.
