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Recreation
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City of Roswell
P.O. Drawer 1838
Roswell, NM 88202-1838
(505) 624-6700
Fax: 624-6889 |
THE LEISURE INCIDENT
CHAPTER SIXTEEN – RECREATION AND SCHOOLS
September
15, 1998
By Kim Elliott, CLP
Recreation Director
City of Roswell
Leisure services are essential for the health and well being of a community. Schools
are essential for the health and well being of a community. So are many other community
functions and services. What happens when you combine two major providers of services in
the community? It should make those essential services even more visible and valuable to
the general public. Let’s take a look!
Robert Lee had this to say about the connection between leisure and schools.
In Greek, the term for leisure is shole, and in Latin scola, from
which we derive our word "school." Leisure thus conceived is an aspect of the
educational or learning process. The spirit of learning of self-cultivation, the time for
discovery, the freeing of the mind from immediate concerns to a consideration of ultimate
concerns, rediscovering the meaning and purpose of life.
We can see that historically leisure and education have been connected from the very
beginning. This is not so difficult to understand. It makes sense. Body and mind go
together. Frank and Theresa Caplan had a good understanding of this concept when they
said, "Self-image and self-confidence come early in life through autonomous and
imaginative play: they cannot be taught or communicated by words or formal
education."
Leisure and education go together. It says something about educating the whole person.
The Roswell Independent School District and the Roswell Recreation Department have an
excellent working relationship. We share facilities when needed. We share equipment when
available. We have tried to plan and build adjoining facilities when possible. It makes
sense to the taxpayer to share when possible.
The Roswell Park Department has several park sites adjacent to schools. These park
sites are next to Del Norte Elementary, Washington Avenue Elementary, Valley View
Elementary, Monterrey Elementary, Missouri Avenue Elementary, and Sunset Elementary
Schools.
How do these schools benefit? They benefit by having additional space in which to
conduct their daily activities. They benefit by not having to purchase and develop
additional property for their various functions. They benefit by being able to
"rest" turf on their playgrounds. They benefit by having some breathing space.
Their physical educators have more room for their classes reducing wear and tear on their
multipurpose rooms and playgrounds. It provides the schools with more options.
At the same time the schools benefit, the community and the Parks and Recreation
Departments benefit. Cooperation and sharing reduce tax burdens. More "open
space" is created. Property values are enhanced. More possibilities are created for
serving the communities leisure needs.
What are other programs and facilities that are shared?
Coke Field is shared for baseball programs. School multipurpose rooms and middle school
gymnasiums are shared during the winter with our youth basketball program. Our summer
Schoolground Program is housed in various elementary and middle schools. Certain schools
rely on the Recreation Department to help provide educational sessions on lifelong hobbies
and careers. We share tennis courts. Debremmond and the Wool Bowl Stadiums are leased to
the RISD. School classrooms are made available when needed. Yucca Recreation Center is
used by various elementary schools for activities. Many park sites are used for end of
year parties and special events. Many other possibilities exist.
As governmental entities, both the RISD and the City of Roswell have a commitment and
responsibility to the community to work together on projects. This means that we should
work together on projects that pertain to both current facilities and programming and
future facilities and programming.
When this is done, the community benefits. When the community benefits, both the RISD
and the City will also benefit. When the RISD and City benefit because of cooperation,
then the individuals who make up the community benefit. It’s a win – win –
win situation!
When new facilities are planned, both organizations should be included in the planning
process to make sure that the communities educational and leisure needs are being met. New
school sites and recreation areas should be planned with both school district needs and
the communities leisure needs in mind. Sites should be planned together to reduce as much
tax burden on the community as possible.
Leisure and education do go together. By working together, everyone in the community
benefits, if not directly, then indirectly.
Parks and Recreation - The Benefits are Endless...TM
