Running the spectrum on activities.

Aurora has a long history of recognition for its efforts in recreation. The National Sports Foundation, Inc., recognized the city of Aurora as the grand winner of the Gold Medal Award for park and recreation excellence in 1973 and 1984. In 1993, the city received the Softball Owners and Directors Association (SODA) award for its Olympic Park facility. Colorado Parks and Recreation Association (CPRA) awarded Aurora Council member Ed Tauer the CPRA Citizen Citation for his excellent leadership and contribution toward the successful passage of the Aurora Sports Park bond referendum that led to that facility's construction a half-dozen years ago. CPRA awarded the Aurora Aquatics program the CPRA Columbine award for its innovative Lifeguard Training Program in 2002. And in 1995 and 2002, the city was awarded the James Ferrell Award for Tournament Excellence by the Amateur Softball Association (ASA).

All told, Colorado's third-largest city offers more than a breath of fresh mountain air to its citizens and visitors. It provides a model for promoting health, fitness and leisure opportunities through cooperation and vision. Louisiana's capital city has the tallest State Capitol in the United States. From the standpoint of leisure and recreation, Baton Rouge also stands tall as a 2003 Sportstown winner.

Since 1946, BREC (the "BR" stands for Baton Rouge; the "REC" for recreation), the Recreation and Park Commission for the Parish of East Baton Rouge, has been committed to providing public park and recreation facilities and programs for the citizens of the parish and surrounding areas. Serving a population of some 450,000, BREC--a division of the state of Louisiana rather than a department at the city-parish level--oversees 184 neighborhood parks housing a variety of facilities that are family-friendly and offer a range of leisure activities to people of all ages. Collectively, these parks are the centerpiece of BREC's efforts; the organization's mission statement reads, in part, "It is the BREC mission to provide park facilities and recreational opportunities for all citizens of East Baton Rouge Parish, with an emphasis on neighborhood-based parks and programs."

BREC's sports programs are open to all, and--noting that 70 percent of kids quit sports before age 13 because "they're not fun anymore"--the primary emphasis is an enjoyment rather than competition and on framing athletics as a means of improving overall quality of life. BREC has an "everyone-gets-to-play" rule and holds coaches accountable for following it; in the younger age brackets, no scores are kept in games. The development of athletic skills and the presentation of sports as a means of social interaction are also important aspects of the BREC motto, and the overall aim is to offer a wide variety of sports and events within programs that are both challenging and enjoyable.

In the spirit of holistic community awareness, BREC offers a number of programs specifically for youths identified as "at-risk" for alcoholism, drug addiction and other social ills. Delta Haven provides various workshops on topics such as prevention, career decision-making, job interview techniques, self-esteem, and assertiveness training; the Academy of Performing and Visual Arts offers free youth programs in dance, art, speech, theatre and choir; and the innovative Roving Leader in effect creates recreation centers on wheels, with equipment in the trunks of cars for impromptu games and athletic activities.

Recreation as it relates to the development of interpersonal skills starts young in Baton Rouge. The East Baton Rouge Parent Child Association holds a weekly two-hour playgroup for mothers and their toddlers, with the aim of teaching youngsters to begin developing healthy relationships with other kids their age, before they begin school. Playgroups for children ages 3 1/2 to 5 are held four days a week from September through May. Activities here include art, singing and basic learning skills in addition to field trips.

At the other end of the age spectrum, BREC seniors, age 50 and above, have a diverse and widely distributed array of programs from which to choose. All 15 of the organization's senior centers have supervisors who implement programs that include some variety of exercise, community events, arts and crafts, sports, hospitality, learning topics, tours, holiday parties and shopping excursions. Tea dances, croquet, computer lessons, and the Orchid Society are especially popular. Transportation is provided by BREC for most events.

For the developmentally challenged and physically handicapped, BREC offers several professionally supervised activities. "Friday Nights At Independence" is a series of dances and socials held throughout the year for "Special People" aged 16 and above. Also offered are wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis, Free Spirits (a program for handicapped youngsters and adults at the Horse Activity Center), and Camp Lazy Days (a summer day camp specially designed for physically challenged youngsters). Independence Park includes a playground for physically challenged children.

BREC makes its recreation centers available for rent for recreational activities such as birthday parties, meetings and family reunions. The new Independence Park Theatre and Cultural Center is available for rent for plays, ceremonies, speeches and concerts, while the Fairgrounds at Airline Highway Park can accommodate a celebration for up to 10,000 people. In addition, BREC's outdoor stadiums--Memorial Stadium, which seats 21,395; and Olympia Stadium, which seats more than 6,000--are available for sporting or civic events. Various facilities throughout the area may be rented for weddings or private parties.

BREC's enthusiasm and varied efforts over the years have not gone unnoticed. The organization has won the prestigious Gold Medal Award twice (1975 and 1991) and has been a national finalist for this award nine other times.