March 2024 - Parks and Recreation - 10

PERSPECT I VES A MESSAGE FROM NRPA' S LEADERS
Supporting Ourselves While
We Support Communities
As I have been reflecting on
the March issue and the range of
topics, it occurred to me that the
issue is, at its heart, about one
core thing - supporting people.
Within that goal, there are two
sides of an important coin. One
side is enabling as many people
as possible to enjoy as much of
our spaces and programs as possible.
The other equally important
side is ensuring park and recreation
professionals and volunteers can perform their
responsibilities as safely and skillfully as possible so
that they too can enjoy the experience while providing
these programs and spaces.
We want park and recreation professionals to enjoy
all aspects of their work. However, not all experiences
providing programs and services are inherently pleasant.
For those tasks, it's even more important to ensure
that thorough training, tools and equipment are provided
to support the work. What's more, we recognize that
providing services and spaces to the public can take its
toll, even on the best days. It's important to remember
that and offer park and recreation staff ongoing support,
encouragement and time to process impacts with
each other in a supportive environment.
A real and growing challenge exists across the country
that is hitting park and recreation teams harder than
ever - supporting people experiencing mental health
conditions, substance use disorder, and homelessness
in parks and public spaces. Park and recreation professionals
who originally signed up to maintain parks,
trees and trails, or develop engaging programs for youth
and elders, are finding themselves faced with populations
in crisis and needing to manage the impacts. As
a baseline, agencies must support staff with the safetyoriented
training and personal protective equipment
(PPE) they need to operate safely. Think of it as the
equivalent of putting the oxygen mask on yourself first
before helping others.
I recommend reading the article on developing a
comprehensive and effective safety management system
on page 40. Having a holistic focus on safety as
10 Parks & Recreation | MARCH 2 0 2 4 | PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G
part of department planning and operations is more
important than ever. In addition, and specific to the issues
I referenced, there are a few links that I recommend
checking out. First is the report that NRPA created to
help agencies navigate substance use impacts (tinyurl.
com/3cvj5har). The other two are guidance from
OSHA (tinyurl.com/4b2e8fhf) and CDC (tinyurl.com/
hy6xxh9s) on safety practices and PPE, specifically for
staff who are working in the field and confronting park
impacts that could be hazardous to their health.
Shifting to accessibility, I have appreciated the personal
journey that Andrew Leslie has shared publicly
on finding ways to continue his outdoor recreation experience
in the wake of a mountain bike crash that left
him with tetraplegia. Andrew is the longtime former
chief executive at Recreation Aotearoa, NRPA's counterpart
in New Zealand. As he has shared his experiences
navigating trails, his recent first-person account
(tinyurl.com/52xhjt4d) highlighted the challenge of
relying on information that describes and rates trails.
For example, when reading about one trail marked as
" easy, " he asks, " Easy for who? "
The article " The Three Ps of Inclusion, " on page
46, delves into adaptability and accessibility in the
field and how we can support people with disabilities
to explore their recreation journey as fully as possible.
The article " The Complete Coach, " on page 34, is another
lens on supporting our volunteers so they can
better support youth in sports. And rounding out the
issue is our annual Aquatics Guide, which offers content
on design and special features as well as creating
safe spaces. Given that about 69 percent of park and
recreation departments offer some form of aquatics,
the guide is not to be missed!
As you work to ensure park and recreation spaces
and programs are as effective and inclusive as possible,
please make sure that you're taking care of yourselves
with the same level of care and diligence.
KRISTINE STRATTON
President and CEO
http://tinyurl.com/3cvj5har http://tinyurl.com/3cvj5har http://tinyurl.com/4b2e8fhf http://tinyurl.com/hy6xxh9s http://tinyurl.com/hy6xxh9s http://tinyurl.com/52xhjt4d
March 2024 - Parks and Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of March 2024 - Parks and Recreation
