Jefferson County Parks and Recreation Programs

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I have so many great memories of kids and grandkids involvement in youth activities also coaching high school athletes. With the great job Molly and Andre (Parks Department Grounds Crew) do to keep up the fields at H.J. Carroll Park and Memorial Field, isn’t it time you caught a game somewhere in Jefferson County or went for an afternoon stroll in a park near you?

Chris Macklin heads up Jefferson County’s Recreation Department. Chris is one of the jewels who moved to Jefferson County with a vast amount of experience to contribute to our community. He started out as Athletic Director for a Boys and Girls Club while attending college. Later, he led the Piedmont Youth Programs (in the Bay Area), then ran youth programs (along with relief work) in El Salvador. Coming back to the United States, Chris ran a big YMCA program in Illinois. He settled in Jefferson County in 2005.

So, you get home from work, or you have been home with your children all day, you are tired, but your children are in hyper mode. Your child has turned into a young adult and is home from college on break or still lives at home. Maybe you want to get out of the house and get active.  You need to contact Chris at the Recreation Center 620 Tyler Street in Port Townsend, at Jefferson County Parks and Recreation Department (360) 385-2221 or cmacklin@co.jefferson.wa.us.

One of the best things about youth sports leagues is just the opportunity of children to participate on a team. Just to be a part of a team is a great way to increase children’s social skills and build friendships. Chris says one of the goals of his recreation programs is to increase their skill levels as they advance in age. The equipment and fields sizes increase as a child progresses through the programs – all with the idea of increasing their skills as they advance to the next level.

Communities seem to pull together to support a successful high school team. There develops a pride in their community and alumni returns to the games - even if they do not know any participant. As a high school wrestling coach for over 25 years, I could tell when an athlete had participated in middle school or even long before in a kid wrestling club. I have noticed over the years that the best high school programs in the state have a great middle school and kid club program feeding those high schools. The Recreation Department also sponsors many sports camps to help with skill development run by local coaches and athletes.

Volunteerism is a large part of the overall Parks and Recreation Department and that is also true in the Recreation Department. Coaches, usually a parent, volunteer to see their team grow and bond together. Many coaches advance with the age group they coach for years. Great friendships are made with the athletes and parents on teams. My wife and I still have friends we met when our son, who is now over forty years old, played Little League baseball. When I talked to Chris, he had just put up new basketball hoops that a father of a girl in the league donated to replace much needed rims at the Rec. Center Gym.

One thing that has really impressed me about the Recreation Program in Jefferson County is how low the cost of participation is compared to surrounding counties and, especially, if you go across the water to King or Snohomish Counties. The prices can still be really difficult for large families and low-income families. There are scholarships available for those in need. The scholarships are not funded by the county, but by people giving extra so that other children can join. There was one donor who was a previous scholarship recipient and he now had a job so he could afford to give back to help someone else.

In 2019:

  • 254 pre-Kindergarten through 6th grade children participated in Coed Spring Soccer League.
  • 178 pre-K through 6th grade children participated in the Coed Basketball League.
  • 169 Pre-K through 6th grade children participated in the Coed Fall Soccer League.
  • 38 children participated in Summer Basketball Camp.
  • 35 children participated in Youth Volleyball Camp.
  • 30 children participated in Winter Wrestling Camp.
  • 70 people participated in the 16 + Coed Soccer League.
  • 68 people participated in 16 + Coed Pickup games.
  • 220 people participated in the 18 + Coed Softball League.

(Jon Cooke has lived near Quilcene with his wife,  Sherry, for 11 years.  He is in his second term as a District 3 representative on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.)