INNOVATION IN 2022 Throughout 2022, the Naperville Park District saw a robust return of participants as the pandemic receded. At the same time, the District was challenged to find and retain staff in a competitive labor market and also worked to locate enough indoor space for programs such as youth basketball. Additionally, at the golf courses, all play had to be shifted to Naperbrook during the renovations at Springbrook. Several innovative initiatives helped the District continue to find ways to accommodate the needs of the community.
ACCOMODATING THE SURGE IN PARTICIPATION Recreation Programs
The overall registration total for 2022 was 59,852 participants, compared to 50,267 in 2021—a 19% increase—and a 5% increase over the 2019 total. Recreation program areas that experienced the most growth were youth gymnastics, youth basketball and day camps. Youth gymnastics participation increased by 1,245 from 2021 to 2022. All of the gymnastics programs use the fully equipped gymnastics room at Fort Hill Activity Center—the District’s only dedicated gymnastics space. To maximize use of this space, staff made adjustments to the schedule and also were able to include
more gymnasts in each class after transitioning away from COVID-19 protocols. To accommodate the 1,000+ additional youth basketball players, staff worked with School Districts 203 and 204 to secure additional gymnasium space for the program. Registrations for camp programs increased by 705 in 2022, with the highest increase in the younger age groups. Expanding the program to accommodate more younger campers was challenging, due to the need for additional staff and the cost and logistics of transportation to Centennial Beach, which is an integral part of the day camp experience. Recreation staff worked with human resources and marketing on innovative recruiting initiatives to find the additional staff needed. Transportation was minimized by relocating the day camps to the Riverwalk Grand Pavilion for 2 of the 5 days each week, allowing campers to walk to Centennial Beach. Fort Hill Fitness In 2022, the return to in-person participation in fitness activities accelerated, with a 51% increase in daily visits to Fort Hill Activity Center compared to 2021. Additionally, the number of participants in Group Exercise increased by 23% from 2021 to 2022. The continuation of some hybrid classes helped accommodate the surge in participation and remains a popular option in group exercise programming. Childcare reopened in July 2021, with 1,601 registrations by the end of the year; in 2022, participation grew to 6,393. As staffing needs increased with the growth at Fort Hill, managers worked with Human Resources and Marketing to recruit and fill the positions.
1,245 more gymnastics participants in 2022 than in 2021 1,000 more youth basketball participants in 2022 than in 2021 705 more day camp participants in 2022 than in 2021 52,168 more daily visits to Fort Hill Activity Center in 2022 than in 2021
NAPERVILLE PARK DISTRICT 2022 ANNUAL REPORT | napervilleparks.org 6
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