D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) will soon roll out a plethora of programming that reflects the local agency’s desire to engage a generation of youth with distinctively different tastes than those who came before them.
Throughout much of the midwinter break, young people saw what they could expect when they participated in the latest iteration of Late Night Drip, the nighttime pool party that DPR hosts in recreation centers throughout the District.
Other activities of note this past week included a video game room, water volleyball and aquatic hip-hop Zumba, girls’ basketball, an infusion of STEM and magic, and a Black History movie night. DPR also provided access to its gyms and indoor pool while students were out of school.
Southeast youth Taiden Myers counted among numerous youth at Raymond Recreation Center in Northwest and Turkey Thicket Recreation Center in Northeast who flocked to Esports Open Play on Feb. 21 to showcase their skills on video game consoles and arcade machines.
For Taiden, these types of activities reaffirmed why he has continued to patronize Raymond Recreation Center. Taiden first engaged Raymond Recreation Center as a middle schooler to play basketball and football. He has since secured employment there through the Mayor Marion S Barry Summer Youth Employment Program.
“A lot of young people in my age group are very adventurous and we have hidden talents that need to be seen,” said Taiden, 16. “The recreation center provides a place to go after school instead of being in the streets. There’s no temptation to go the other way. The recreation center provides different opportunities to talk about the outside world.”
Taiden’s friend Gabriel Perry echoed Taiden’s sentiments about being able to speak openly about life. He said that’s why he enjoys coming to Raymond Recreation Center at a time when young people in the District are experiencing hardship.
On Tuesday night, Gabriel and Taiden, along with more than a dozen other young people, stayed at Raymond Recreation Center nearly until it closed, just laughing and talking among each other.
“Since my friends came to this recreation center, I feel like we’ve built a community,” said Gabriel, a 15-year-old Northeast resident. “A bunch of good people come together and try to make it a better place. Being here is better than being in the house by myself. There, we stick with our parents and it’s hard to communicate. At the recreation center, there’s freedom to an extent.”
Last year, nearly 100 young people were arrested for the first time for gun-related offenses, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. While violent crime dipped in 2022, youth accounted for a significant portion of gun violence victims.
That’s why during a meeting between D.C. Mayor Muriel (D) and ANC commissioners at Deanwood Community Center earlier this year, both parties spent some time discussing how best to inform constituents about local recreation activities to constituents and bring more youth to DPR facilities.
DPR received funding for its Recreation-for-All initiative during the last budget cycle. In the coming months, youth will see the manifestation of that through gymnastics, volleyball, lacrosse, water activation on Anacostia River, golf, and an ATV (all-terrain vehicle) program at Camp Riverview, DPR’s overnight summer camp in St. Mary’s County, Maryland.
DPR Director Delano Hunter said the agency recently hosted its first volleyball clinic in years for more than 100 young women. In anticipation of summer, DPR has its eye on expanding outdoor pool hours and building upon the success of last year during which patrons made more than 250, 000 visits to local outdoor pools.
“The goal is to sustain it beyond this year. It’s about allowing what we funded to take root and be executed at a higher level,” Hunter said. “We’re working closely with the mayor and D.C. Council member Trayon White [who oversees DPR on the D.C. Council] to demonstrate that there’s a demand and it adds value for our families.”
Meanwhile, at Turkey Thicket Recreation Center, CiAhna Chloe continues to pursue her decadelong love for swimming in her role as a lifeguard and certified pool operator.
Three years ago, CiAhna embarked on that journey when she practiced water rescue techniques and learned how to provide CPR and recognize spinal pain in swimmers. She said being a lifeguard has allowed her to pass on her passion for swimming to younger people. CiAhna’s job has also placed her in close proximity with peers who are focused on achieving financial and career goals.
For CiAhna, her days at the pool are the direct opposite of the negative lifestyle that young people are often encouraged to partake in on social media.
“Most of the young people I work with are Black and brown; it’s good to see that representation,” CiAhna said as she reflected on her upcoming high school graduation. “Adults should give us time and patience and work with us [to] try to understand what we’re going through and [know] that sometimes it’s hard to wake up and go to school. We want that comforting voice.”