Brown County Parks and Recreation is preparing for kids and adults across the county to join in 2021 sports.
Though their participation numbers are somewhat lower than 2019 so far, Director Mark Shields said participation is up 100 percent from 2020, since programs were shut down due to the pandemic.
Nearly 60 kids have signed up for the upcoming T-ball season, down from 68 in 2019. Shields said that they are seeing more participation in other age divisions, though, with 13 players signed up for 12-and-under softball, for instance. There were none in 2019, when the pandemic wasn’t a factor.
Even though some numbers are down, they have seen more engagement in outdoor activity at Deer Run Park, with visitors spending time at the skate park or playing disc golf.
Parks and rec does plan to offer soccer in the late summer and hopes to add youth and adult basketball to their schedule as well. Due to pandemic restrictions with gym use, this is dependent on the schools, since that’s where the parks and rec basketball programs practice.
“We’re going to have some sort of plan put together. At this point we’re just going week by week, seeing what numbers do, touching base with the health department to have a plan,” he said.
“We’ll have some minor guidelines, as far as asking players to be masked in the dugout. I hope it doesn’t come to a point where we have to do contact tracing, take temperatures — it’d be very difficult to get everyone.”
Parks and rec is still looking for a few coaches for baseball and softball and is in need of umpires and supervisors too. Shields said they’re kind of struggling finding people to be supervisors this year, especially with the passing of Seymore Parrish last fall who had done the job for many years.
“We are still looking for umpires, supervisors and concessions staff for this year,” said program specialist Andy Rudd. “Please contact our office for more info if you are interested. We are really looking forward to a fun season but need staff to make it happen.”
Parks and rec is also exploring other options for new sports, possibly adding outdoor dodgeball and kickball. They’re also working with Indiana University’s rugby club to get that contact sport going as well.
“It’s kind of dependent on the numbers of COVID,” Shields said.
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For more information or to register for a sport, visit bcparksrec.com or call 812-988-5522.
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