THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 8, 1995 TAG: 9509070170
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Medium: 51 lines
As president of the Virginia Rec-re-a-tion and Park Society, I have a duty to respond to the misleading letter ``Wrecking the rec center'' (Beacon, Aug. 25). As a resident who swims three days a week at the Bayside Community Recreation Center, I can also put the hard work of the city's Parks and Rec-re-a-tion employees into better focus.
The author of this letter suggests that our recreation centers are not effective in dealing with the delinquency of our youth. This could not be further from the truth.
As the writer points out, the city's recreation centers are typically found full of ``children racing up and down the halls and crowding the lobbies.'' If the Parks and Rec-re-a-tion staff was not successful in providing quality programs for our children, would the recreation centers be so full? The answer is an emphatic no.
If night basketball were not effective, as the author suggests, then why has it become one of the most popular new programs nationwide? The answer is that its value in reducing juvenile crime has been shown through many studies to be significant.
Last, the author suggests that the city develop programs that will help parents take responsibility for their children. Well, spend any degree of time in a recreation center and you will see happy children and their parents participating together in reading, swimming, craft, sports and countless other programs. These parents are learning and realizing the value of parental participation and taking responsibility for the appropriate use of their children's leisure time. It's an unenlightened view of the importance of recreation and leisure to suggest training and putting our youth to work as soon as possible.
The dedicated staff of Virginia Beach's Department of Parks and Recreation has developed a wealth of recreation programs that is recognized throughout the state and nation for its innovation and effectiveness. What's needed is not a redirection of funds away from Parks and Recreation. Rather, what's needed is increased support of the department so that it may continue to enhance its programs for our youth and adults alike.
Douglas Kennedy
Virginia Beach MEMO: Dr. Kennedy is coordinator of Virginia Wesleyan College's Department of
Recreation and Leisure Studies.
by CNB