Norman Parks and Recreation hosts statewide conference, brings home awards

The City of Norman Parks & Recreation Department claimed two awards recently at the Oklahoma Recreation and Park Society 2024 Conference. The department not only brought home the Award of Excellence for Project or Facility for the Young Athletic Center, but for the second year in a row, the Park Maintenance Department claimed the ORPS Maintenance Rodeo title.

The two-day conference took place at the Embassy Suites and the Young Family Athletic Center in Norman on November 7 and 8.

Two years ago, the Norman Parks and Recreation Department notified the statewide organization of their desire to host the conference in order to show the great strides the city had made with the Norman Forward projects.

"We were so honored to host this conference in Norman," said Director Jason Olsen. "About 140 municipal Parks and Recreation officials were here and this conference allowed us to show off our finished Norman Forward projects including the Young Family Athletic Center to our Park professional peers around the state and the country."

The Award of Excellence for Project or Facility was given in recognition of the Young Athletic Center, which opened in February of this year. The state-of-the-art 122,000-square-foot facility boasts eight basketball courts, 12 volleyball courts and 18 pickleball courts. The expansive facility has amenities for all ages. The gymnasium is equipped with a massive 74-foot video screen to display live games, creating an unparalleled atmosphere of excitement and teamwork. The aquatic portion of the building features two pools, including an 8-lane 25-yard competition pool with spectator seating and a 4-lane 25-yard pool used as a warm-up pool during swim competitions. The facility also offers men's and women's locker rooms, professional diving blocks, the latest version of the Colorado timing system, a hospitality room, officials meeting room, conference room, and more. Other YFAC amenities include concessions, retail space, administrative offices, tournament and team breakout rooms, public restrooms and other standard support areas.

The keynote address for the convention was given by Roslyn Johnson, Parks and Recreation director in Annapolis, Md. Johnson also sits on the National Parks and Recreation Associations board of directors. In addition, "Recless," a national podcast for Parks and Recreation professionals hosted a live podcast from the conference.

The ORPS Maintenance Rodeo allowed Norman Parks and Recreation Maintenance teams to demonstrate their expertise in many of the tasks that make the job so demanding. It included things like backing a trailer through a course, operating an excavator with dexterity and finesse, and changing irrigation heads, and doing it all faster and better than anyone else.

The Mission of the Oklahoma Recreation and Parks Society, a 501-C3, is to provide professionals with leadership, educational, personal and professional development opportunities to promote the importance of quality environmental, cultural, recreational and park services. Find more information at orps.us.