Bring on the Competition!

by Sandy Kellogg

Aquatic Operations Supervisor, Mount Vernon RECenter

Fairfax County Park Authority

VRPS Aquatics Resource Group 2016 Chair
VRPS 2016 Awards Co-Chair

There are a lot of things happening on the VRPS website.  There is a common thread that seems appropriate for an Olympic season – the Spirit of Competition!  We are a profession that thrives on teamwork, networking and cooperation, but sometimes a sense of competition can unify a team and create fun opportunities for people to aspire for first place.

First of course is the Lifeguard Cup!  The Aquatic Resource Group has been running this for several years, and last year decided to go to a Virtual Cup.  No, you don’t get to compete online, but your team gets to compete at their own site, and in their own times.  Results are sent back in and tallied.  Last year the Princess Anne Recreation Center in Virginia Beach won a pizza party and prize pack for coming in first.  Registration deadline is July 22; the VRPS website had more details.  Based on last year’s spirit videos this was a fun event at the sites that participated; there are some very creative staff members out there!

The VRPS Resource Groups and Service Areas are currently calling for nominations for the 2017 Boards, and VRPS nominations will be out soon as well.  It is wonderful to have the chance to choose between amazing applicants, but to do that we need more people running!  Please consider stepping up to nomination for a board or two.  The friendships and fun far outweigh the work.  VRPS needs all our help to extend their mission statewide, serving on a board is a great way to start.  Nominations for many of the groups are out there right now; there is more information on the VRPS website.

The Awards and Citations Committee would like to encourage everyone to submit applications for the 2015 VRPS Awards, presented at our annual conference.  As a member of that committee, it’s really fun to read and evaluate different programs and facilities.  There are so many interesting ideas, programs and projects going on out there, you all deserve to be recognized for the great things you do!  Here’s your chance for the state organization to recognize you as well.  Deadline for nomination is July 31; the VRPS website has more information.

Lastly, when I think back at my time at the VRPS Leadership Training Institute (LTI) this year, what I remember most (other than the awesome educational sessions!) are the games and challenges we did.  Our closing night there was solo cups being stacked, toilet paper being thrown, and even some booty shaking ping pong ball activity!  We all tried to be the best we could be, but in the end we all won and got some great pictures!  In the end, whether it’s with competition or collaboration, we are doing awesome things for Parks and Recreation in our state.  Come join us!

Getting Virginia Beach Healthy All in One Day

by Michael Kalvort, CPRE

VRPS Board of Directors

2016 Professional Education and Senior Resource Group Liaison
2016 LTI Committee

Director, Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation

Many departments in parks and recreation agencies experience a massive rush of registrations at the beginning of summer camp season, before the start of the school year and the first day the catalog is released. Yet, seldom do we, as professionals, develop sales and incentives for our customers to take advantage of. In celebrating the Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation Department’s 60^th Anniversary and in tying in our citizen’s healthy New Year’s resolutions to work out and to become more fit, we decided to offer a one-day open house where we would discount our annual recreation center memberships from $86 to $60. Our memberships include access to all our amenities at our recreation centers.

This promotion was not as simple as just placing an ad in the paper and notifying our team members at the recreation centers. It was a total team effort. For weeks, social media was deployed, ad buys were placed, our team went through extensive sales training, our procedures and data entry mechanisms were improved, and our volunteer boards, including the Parks and Recreation Commission and the Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation Foundation, were enlisted to help us get the message out to our many residents. In the end, through a lot of hard work and extensive team work, the promotion was a true success. Over 3,700 new memberships were sold, 3,100 being adults (our target audience for this venture), and over $200,000 was generated in the course of six short hours.

Were there some minor hiccups? Of course. Lines were fairly long, and some residents did not wait due to other commitments on the weekend, yet overwhelmingly, our citizens voiced their appreciation of not only offering this great deal, but also extending a call to action for each and every one of them to become healthier and fit in the New Year. Sometimes it takes extreme pressure and overwhelming odds to unify as a team, and for this entire day, Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation was solely focused on customer service and our parks and recreation mission to improve the lives of our citizens through wellness and play.

I am always excited when I get a chance to speak with other fellow professionals throughout the state learn about their experiences and programs. This is an opportunity to share ours.

I don’t write this blog to gloat or to say how Virginia Beach is doing extraordinary things (even though I am extremely proud of my coworkers and their ability to create new programs and develop and renovate world class facilities), but it’s to share that just like some businesses hold one-day sales on Black Friday, your department can also employ those tactics just like we did. Our marketing division worked tirelessly to ensure the message was spread throughout our community and that this was a one-day, limited time offer.  Just like in business, scarcity creates demand and motivates individuals. 

Many of you hold one-day or weekend special events which draw hundreds or thousands into your area. Why couldn’t this happen for a program or a special parks and recreation offer? Start planning today and gear up for success….you might be surprised at the turnout and impact hundreds or thousands of your neighbors all in one day. 

I look forward to hearing about your success at LTI or in Roanoke at congress.

Michael Kalvort, CPRE is the Parks and Recreation Director of the City of Virginia Beach. He can be reached at 757-385-1122.