Fayetteville is first-rate

City's dedication to going extra mile earns it SI Sportstown honor

By Andrew Schulman

As part of the largest recreation organization in the state of Arkansas, the staff of Fayetteville’s Parks and Recreation Division is obligated to deliver the type of programming and opportunities the city’s residents want. Their ability to consistently meet that obligation -- and their willingness to go the extra mile in everything they do -- is what has made the Division successful and earned Fayetteville the title of Sports Illustrated Sportstown.

While this may seem like an obvious path to success, everything that the Parks and Recreation Division does is built around offering city residents the best possible experience through the best possible programs at the best possible facilities. And the Division’s staff members have become masters of their craft.

It all starts with the programs. The Division offers youth soccer, youth slow-pitch softball, youth fast-pitch softball, adult softball, adult flag football and aquatic programs, among others. It also helps local groups, such as the Boys and Girls Club, offer additional programs including soccer, basketball, youth baseball, ultimate frisbee, disc golf and horseshoe pitching, to name a few.

To make things more "resident-friendly," the Division plans the youth sport seasons so they barely overlap, providing local children the opportunity to take part in as many different sports as their parents will allow.

"Our goal is to have as many people participating in as many sports as they’d like," said David Wright, the Division’s Recreation Superintendent. "The residents of Fayetteville look at these programs as an investment in the quality of life here and they take full advantage of what we offer."

The numbers bear this out. The Parks and Recreation Division serves an area of approximately 58,000 people; incredibly, about 52,000 of them participated in its myriad programs this year. Wright’s goal is to eventutally have every city and area resident take part.

Part of the reason so many people can participate is the abundance of high-quality facilities located in the area. Fayetteville counts 58 parks within its city limits –- meaning there’s approximately one park for every 1,000 residents. The Division also built and maintains several large baseball and softball complexes, a number of soccer complexes and recently opened a 19,000 square-foot BMX park to satisfy local demand.

And while safety is a priority for every parks and recreation department in the U.S., Fayetteville again takes things a step further than most, and works with local police officials to conduct background checks on everyone who applies to coach in a youth program.

“Safety is our number one priority here in Fayetteville,” said Wright. “We’re lucky enough to have a police department that’s willing to help us screen our coaches and give parents the piece of mind that their children are in good hands.”

It’s that extra mile that keeps area residents coming out in droves, and has earned Fayetteville the title of Sports Illustrated Sportstown.