Shawano Parks – Shawano Rec Center 

Join Jaime as she tours the Shawano Recreation Center on Division Street. She will overview the aquatic programs and other amenities like the workout center and racquetball courts. Registration for Summer Activities has now begun and can be registered for online here or at the rec center.

transcript

– Good afternoon and
welcome to Shawano News,

your positive source in a crazy world.

I’m your host, Jamie Lee.

Today we’re at the Shawano
Park and Recreation Department.

Let’s take a dip.

(funky music)

I am currently with some
locals, Dave and Sue,

who like to come to the
Rec frequently to swim.

Dave, tell me, what do
you love about the Rec?

– Well, it, the
convenience that, you know,

we live in Shawano and
we can come right here.

What’s great is the
temperature of the water

because most swimming pools
that if you want to do lap swim,

the temperature is about 80 degrees.

Whereas this pool is 85, 86 degrees.

So for older folks, it’s really nice

that you’re not shivering right away.

And it’s just good that way.

– It kinda warms my heart too,

that this is something healthy

that a couple can do together.

– Oh yeah. She pulls me in here.

She’s the better swimmer than
I am and forces me to come.

But we regularly exercise

and this is a nice change of pace

from what we do because now we
get to work on our aerobics.

We really get to stretch out

and work on our entire body as we swim.

– Well, good for you guys

for taking responsibility
for your own health.

Have fun.

Got it?

We are currently in the
weight room of the rec center.

I am here with the
director, Matt Hendricks.

Thanks for joining us, Matt.

You have been in town for eight years

and made many, many
improvements and additions

to the Rec Center.

So thank you for all you’re doing.

Can you give us a little
overview of what’s happened

in the last eight years
and what’s to come?

– Yeah.

Well, I mean, obviously
we just try and work on

a lot of different projects

to provide different avenues for people

to be social, recreate,
stay healthy, you know,

and so at the weight room, you know,

we’re always updating equipment,
a few pieces each year.

Places where we have free
weights and cardio weights

that folks can use to
get out and be active.

And then also out in our parks,

just lots of different projects,

trying to respond to
what the community wants

and what they see as important
for their quality of life.

– The parks are so beautiful, Matt,

and it’s under your direction

that a lot of these things have happened.

So we wanna say, thank you,

’cause it’s really
turned this town around.

Speaking of parks,

I know that we’re gonna
do a story coming up here

with music in the park at Franklin.

Can you tell the audience
a little bit about it

before they see the big story?

– Yeah, so Franklin Park,
you know, several years ago

the community was really looking
at what should this become?

And there’s lots of different ideas.

And eventually a group of
park builders got together

and just went through a
brainstorming session.

And that’s how we ended up
with what we have today.

So the first part of any project

is to put in the infrastructure

to then be able to make
recreation programs happen.

And obviously Thursdays at Franklin,

which is something of a story to come,

but has really become

what we feel is like
one of the main pillars

of a fun activity in the
summer in Shawano these days.

– We’re talking about all the new,

but I have a question regarding the old.

This building has been around a long time.

When was this made?

– Yeah, so this building
was the late 1950s.

Originally started as a YMCA.

They didn’t complete
it for whatever reason,

and so it became property of the city,

the city completed it
into what it is today.

And so our mantra, you know,

with the building that’s the
better part of 75, 80 years old

is that, hey it is old,

but that doesn’t mean
that we’re not relevant,

or that we’re not up to date,

or that we don’t have good safe equipment,

or that our pool isn’t one
of the cleanest and best

in the state, because all
those things are true.

And so we just wanna keep on using it.

– And that’s good to know.

It’s efficient and run smoothly.

You know, why fix something
that’s not broken?

– Exactly.

– Another thing I see is
you got racketball courts.

– We do, those were added
on in the early nineties

and they’re here for
racketball and also wallyball,

which if you’ve never played
is a really strange combination

of volleyball inside a court.

So it gets a little funky and crazy,

but we do have equipment for both.

So, you know, again, one
of our theories is just

to introduce people to passions.

We don’t necessarily have
to be the experts in it.

And so we do have equipment

that if people have never played,

they can come and borrow and use

and go have fun with the courts.

– And what a fun localized, central,

right in downtown Shawano
where people can walk to

and come and do some
interesting fun things.

So again, thanks for all you do.

– You’re welcome.

– Let’s do some reps.

Come on, Matt!

Yeah.

(upbeat music)

I am currently with the
aquatics coordinator,

Tara Kelliher.

She’s gonna tell us more
about some of the programs

and offerings here at the Rec.

I know that there’s a lot of swim lessons

for people of all ages.

Can you tell us more about
how people can get involved

in the swim lessons?

– Yep. We run swimming
lessons year round, all ages.

We start out at six months old

up into the swimmer
and intermediate level.

So that is like a level five.

– And another thing for
all ages and families

is to come to open swim

where people can kind of just free play,

swim around, come with friends.

And I know we can go to the website

for all the times for the open swim.

And I know you’re always
looking for lifeguards.

Can you tell us more about the
lifeguard training program?

– Yep. Lifeguard training
program is typically held

in the summer.

This year it’ll be mid-July.

It’s an online program.

So students can go through
most of the program online

at their own time.

And then we do like a three day bootcamp,

like get it done over the weekend.

By the time they leave,
we leave ’em certified.

– That’s amazing.

And kind of funny story, this old swimsuit

was when I was a lifeguard
here at the Rec Center

back in the nineties.

I used to work at the kiddie
pool in Memorial Park,

and I loved it because the
parents kind of took over.

So I just drank Sun Drop

and flirted with the Rec Center boys.

– Yeah.
– You know what I mean?

– Yeah, yeah.

– So what else can you have
people come here for and enjoy?

– Well, adult programming is,

we have two things that is very popular.

That’s lap swim, which
is going on right now,

or water walking, which is,

we have stairs to get into the pool,

so it’s great for low mobility.

The pool is 86 degrees year
round, as you can maybe tell.

It’s pretty hot in here,

but they can do whatever kind
of water exercise they want

at their own time, in their
own depth during water walking

or lap swim, which is
just maintaining the lane,

whatever speed and
skill, that’s up to them.

We also have a number of classes

all the way from joints and motion,

which is great for people in recovery

or people with any number
of arthritises, or-

– So like exercise in the
water? Exercise classes?

– It’s very low mobility, very, very easy,

just basic stretching and strengthening,

all the way up to full
aerobics on Wednesday nights.

– So much to do here in the water.

Thank you, Tara for putting
all these programs together

and keeping us safe.

– Yeah.

– Shawano News.

Now we’re with activities
coordinator, Dana Krause,

the smiling face you always
see behind the counter

when you come into the Rec Center.

Dana, can you tell us about
the upcoming summer programs?

It looks like we have a lot
to offer people of all ages.

First with some of the youth
programs, what’s going on?

– Yes. We do have a lot to
offer the youth in the summer

to get them out enjoying our parks.

We offer T-ball.

Also, we have tumbling, kickball,

just a lot of-

– Pom poms!

– Yes, pom poms too.

Just a lot of stuff to
get them out and active

and having fun.

– And then I see there’s
also adult programs.

What are some of those?

– Yes, we run men’s softball.

We also have a few exercise programs

that we run in the park.

Sunrise yoga, a boot camp.

So just a wide variety of
things to get out and be active.

– And these are the current brochures

that have been sent out
to the school district,

but they’re all here at the Rec.

You can also catch the full
schedule and registration

online at city of Shawano?

– Cityofshawano.com, and just
go under the park and rec page

and hit the registration
button, and you’ll be all set.

– So excited.

As Dana said, I’m gonna be
teaching yoga on the beach

at Smalley Park this summer.

So if you wanna flow with me, Jamie Lee,

come and sign up for yoga
and all the programs.

– Yes.

– Anything else you
wanna tell the audience

about the Rec Center programs

and what it’s like to work here?

– It’s a great place to work.

We have awesome people that come in here

and work out, and it’s just a
great, friendly place to be.

– A healthy atmosphere.

– Absolutely.

– Thanks, Dana.

– You’re welcome, thank you.

– I think we made quite a
splash today at the Shawano Rec.

Stay tuned this summer for
more stories on the parks.

This is Jamie Lee signing
off for Shawano news.

Keep living and loving in the 54166.

(funky music)