Summer Recreation Numbers Near Record

Salina Parks and Recreation staff reported a busy spring and summer of events, highlighted by hosting the NAIA baseball tournament for the first time this year at Dean Evans Stadium. Staff said the tournament required coordination and juggling with the city and school district but was successful, and that the KCAC tournaments are set to return next year. 'The facilities, they raved about it,' a staff member said, crediting the quality of the city's side-by-side stadiums.

Staff reported the department's summer camp filled all eight weeks and sold out within about three-and-a-half hours of registration opening, even after adding 10 more spots. Baseball and softball leagues fielded 87 teams and officially concluded the night before the meeting, though staff acknowledged public frustration after games were rescheduled multiple times due to weather and staffing turnover.

Other programs cited included a volleyball camp with 103 participants, a tennis camp with 24 players, a softball camp with 46 girls and a baseball camp with 37. Staff said year-to-date participation numbers at special events are on pace to match or exceed last year, which was described as the department's best year in the staff member's 20-year tenure. A therapeutic recreation 'sensory swim' event at Kenwood Cove drew 80 participants, with one more scheduled before summer ends.