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Editor’s Note: This column, “LBWA” (Leadership By Wandering Around), is based on the premise that, in order to find out what’s going on in the field, a parks and rec leader has to leave his or her desk and “wander around” the area of operations, talk to people, ask questions, and kick around ideas with the individuals in the thick of delivering services to the public. So the author will bring up issues and ask the leaders among the readership to share their knowledge and experiences.
I’m not sure about other recreation departments, but here in Peachtree City, Ga., if it weren’t for volunteers, we wouldn’t have half the wide range of parks and recreation activities we offer, especially in youth sports.
However, the volunteer workforce is a two-edged sword--it has its advantages, but it also has its drawbacks.
On the one hand, if we had to hire the number of people it takes to operate the 12 different youth sports we now support, taxes would quadruple, or we just wouldn’t have them. Here, the city provides the facilities and operating costs, while the volunteer association provides the operational program.