Bartlett Pair

Tennessee Sportstown's residents, Parks Department a perfect match

Everything you need to know about Bartlett, Tenn., can be summed up in one story.

When the city awoke on July 22 to the devastation left by a storm packing winds upward of 60 miles per hour, community-minded residents didn’t panic. They knew exactly what to do.

“We had people from all walks of life out in the streets, picking up debris, helping get the town up and running,” said Bartlett Mayor A. Keith McDonald. “They were calling my office asking, ‘What can we do to help?’”

The dedication and willingness to pitch in shown by Bartlett’s citizens is matched only by the work of the city’s parks and recreation department, and that has earned this Memphis suburb the designation of Sports Illustrated Sportstown for the state of Tennessee.

With a focus on meeting and responding to the needs of all of its residents, Bartlett Parks and Recreation oversees the city’s 25 parks, as well as three activity centers -- the Bartlett Recreation Center, Singleton Community Center and Bartlett Senior Center.

For a city located on about 20 square miles, Bartlett’s commitment to maintaining and developing its "green space" means that every resident is within walking distance of a neighborhood park. Ranging in size from the 0.6-acre Sugar Tree Park to the 100-acre Freeman Park, Bartlett’s parks host a wide variety of youth and adult events -– from baseball, softball and soccer to the annual Bartlett Celebration festival and the popular Fishing Rodeo, which takes place at Municipal Center Park.

While the parks cover Bartlett’s outdoor activity needs, the city’s three recreation centers provide nearly unlimited opportunities for indoor recreation and learning, each with a particular focus.

Featuring an eight-lane swimming pool, basketball and racquetball courts, and a weight room and fitness center, the three-year-old Bartlett Recreation Center provides those looking for indoor sports and fitness with a place to go.

Inside the walls of the Singleton Community Center, Bartlett residents take part in a multiplicity of classes, seminars and lessons on topics as diverse as yoga, flute, basketball, sign language and hunter’s education. In addition to the fitness, arts and special interest programs, the Center also sets aside classroom space for parents to homeschool their children and teach classes that other homeschooled youth can attend.

The Senior Center’s most popular programs include Friday Night Dances for those light on their feet, musical “Jam-Jam’s” for those looking to play a musical instrument, and a golf league for seniors looking to hit the links. In addition to its recreational programming, the Senior Center also provides services such as a daily hot lunch, regular health check-ups and an onsite manicurist, and offers classes in subjects such as oil painting, creative writing and music appreciation.

“There’s a strong sense of community here in Bartlett and it’s our job to meet the needs of all our citizens,” said McDonald. “We’re proud to offer something for everyone, whether you’re skilled or a novice, into sports or the arts, 8 years old or 80.”