Pa.'s Sportstown: The Centre Region

"Fun first" philosophy fuels town's comprehensive sports programming

By Jody Woodman

With Penn State University located in its border, The Centre Region of Pennsylvania has long been known for its sports.

But it is not Big Ten championships for the Nittany Lions that's grabbing the attention now. It’s the work of The Centre Region Parks and Recreation Department that has earned the area Sports Illustrated Sportstown designation.

“The Centre Region reflects the kind of community where anyone would want to live, work and play sports,” said the five-person Sportstown judging panel in announcing The Centre Region's selection. “Working together, the region extends the spirit generated by having a Big Ten university nearby into exciting and extensive opportunities to enjoy both recreational and competitive sports.”

The Centre Region is located in the Greater State College Area. Its Parks and Rec department serves the Borough of State College and the Townships of College, Ferguson, Harris and Patton, Pa.

The parks department has its hands full with 48 different fields and the teams that fill them each season. With 16 programs directly sponsored by the department and eight others using the department facilities, The Centre Region Parks and Recreation has a hand in all the sporting opportunities in the area.

Jeff Hall, The Centre Region's recreation supervisor for fitness and sports, explains the perks of his position: “There’s a youth softball field, an adult softball field and a baseball field. There are three games going on, then you have people playing on our sand volleyball courts. The park is full. That’s the best part of the job.”

Like all recreation departments, The Centre Region relies heavily on the volunteers who supplement the full time staff to make sure that everything runs smoothly, and Hall said the department gets “good volunteers who really mold the kids,” by promoting the department’s “fun first” philosophy.

Among the programs unique to The Centre Region are a wrestling program run by 1988 Olympian Ken Chertow and a field hockey skills camp led by members of the Penn State coaching staff and team.