Photo Credit: Courtesy of NAYS
As the nation’s third-largest county park system, Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces in Florida provides youth-sports programming for a jaw-dropping 9,000 youngsters.
That’s a lot of kids, a lot of volunteers coaching them, and certainly a lot of challenges for the staff overseeing the programs for youngsters ranging in age from 5 to 17.
“Not every child is the same, and not every child comes from the same background,” says Eduardo Martinez, who is in his sixth year as the park’s manager and a Certified Youth Sports Administrator. “You can only control what happens under your watch. The best advice I can give is to always stay positive under difficult circumstances, and try to avoid getting involved in situations beyond your control.”