Casper rises to claim Sportstown title

City thrives on facilities and involvement

By Jody Woodman

Evan Smith, 7, heads for first base in a Casper Junior Single A baseball game between the Blue Jays and Athletics. Mark Gifford

When Carolyn Griffith first set eyes on the facilities operated by the City of Casper (Wyo.) Leisure Services Department and Parks Division, she was amazed at the diversity and quality of their sites.

Griffith, now in her ninth year as the city's Recreation Supervisor, helps to oversee those programs and facilities that have earned Casper designation as Wyoming's Sports Illustrated Sportstown.

"Casper, Wyo., illustrated a variety of partnerships that showed a tremendous effort by the Leisure Services department to provide opportunities for the community," said the five-member judging panel.

Three shooting ranges, a model airplane airport and a BMX course highlight some of the unique venues in Casper. Those, combined with 43 developed parks, the Casper Events Center, Casper Recreation Center, Casper Ice Arena, Hogadon Ski Area, 10 athletic complexes, five outdoor swimming pools, a municipal golf course and nine miles of developed trails make Casper one bustling Sportstown in the center of the state.

"One thing that's notable is that our leagues are so full that one league will end on a Thursday and the next one will start on Monday," Griffith said. "There's not a gap -- when you get done with basketball, you don't have to wait for volleyball, and one league is just as full as the last."

Located 275 miles north of Denver, Casper is devoid of major professional sports, but the city has seen its share of amatures progress to sports' highest ranks.

Among those reared in Casper who have made it to the big time are baseball players Mike Lansing, Mike Deveraux and Tim Browning as well as Lance Deal, an Olympic hammer thrower.

But whether an athlete has a professional promise or not, Griffith hopes the leagues in Casper continue to fill.

"I want people to keep playing," Griffith said. "It's important to go out and try your hardest. You have people who win and people who lose, but it's about competition and also about knowing how to lose with grace and how to appreciate both sides of that. The people who appreciate that keep playing as long as it's physically possible."