If there’s a constant across the specialties we cover during the editorial year, it’s change. Be it technological advancements, economic instability, or job-specific trends, the goalpost is always moving, and it’s our job to cover what’s different so we can keep you informed. It’s unsurprising to no one that the parks and recreation sector of today is vastly different than the version we knew just a few years ago.
However, what we’re currently witnessing in the industry is more significant than the winds of change. It’s a great restructuring characterized by mass layoffs and the continued threat of broadscale downsizing. In the first few months of 2025, the parks and recreation sector has morphed into something almost unrecognizable, and, as we inch closer to the summer tourist season, it’s possible that recreation experiences will be similarly transformed. It remains to be seen if that transformation will be positive or negative, but many experts fear the latter.
Considering all this as the backdrop, it can feel a bit frivolous to talk about recreation. After all, many folks use the word as a synonym for play, and at such a serious time for the industry, how can we focus on play?
But this is precisely the moment when play matters most. It’s through play that we find levity in the face of darkness. It’s through play that we connect with—and see the good in—others. It’s through play that we create new memories and forge new bonds with the people and communities around us. I’d argue, right now it makes perfect sense to play.
This year’s Recreation issue offers several different takes on ways to play. One story highlights how mini-pitches are bringing soccer to previously excluded communities, broadening the scope and appeal of the sport. Another story showcases an upstart basketball program that has quickly become a bright spot for its sponsoring parks and rec department. And yet another highlights a new pickleball facility designed not only to cultivate love for the sport but also forge connections.
The undercurrent through these stories is the power of play. Recreation facilitates individual and group health, creates spaces for community gathering, and infuses programming and initiatives with purpose. The industry is enduring frequent and unpredictable changes, and this sector that we know and love won’t be the same. But the benefits of recreation stand. Individual health begets community health, and that remains true. So, let this month’s issue be a reminder—when times get hard, play harder.
