PARKS AND RECREATION volunteers and community members work side by side. We don’ t always get it right, but it’ s always meaningful, and we learn new ways to collaborate each time.
GETTING INVOLVED THIS JULY So how do you make the most of Park and Recreation Month? Start small. This isn’ t about adding more to your workload; it’ s about showing the value of what you already do, and helping others see it, too.
Here are a few simple, impactful ways to get involved:
Share your story. Take a few minutes to post a photo on social media of your team or a recent project. Write a short caption explaining the work behind it. People love seeing the process, not just the final product.
Use the hashtag. Tag your social media posts with # BuildTogetherPlayTogether and # ParkAndRecMonth. It connects your work to a national movement, and NRPA might even share your story with a wider audience( be sure to tag us).
Highlight your team. Whether it’ s a staff shoutout on your website or a printed thank you at the rec center or ballfield, give credit where it’ s due. Recognition doesn’ t have to be elaborate. Sincerity wins the game here.
Host something simple. If time allows, invite the community in. A casual open house; a drop-in sports night; a walk-and-talk with staff— anything that shows how much thought and effort goes into these spaces.
Download the Park and Recreation Month promotional toolkit at https: / www. nrpa. org / events / july / toolkit /.
The word“ together” is the key component. The best parks, programs and public spaces don’ t succeed in isolation. They thrive when maintenance staff, recreation leaders, planners, volunteers and community members work side by side.
THESE SPACES MATTER— AND SO DO YOU One of the best parts of my job at NRPA is hearing from the people who do this work. Groundskeepers who stayed up all night ahead of a weather-threatened tournament. Teams who turned a forgotten field into a youth sports hub. Crews who kept parks clean, open and welcoming during challenging times. The common threads in every story? Service. Community. Pride.
And those common threads are contagious. When people see the care you put in, they start to care, too. When you invest in a space, the community invests in it right back. It’ s not instant, it’ s a relationship that builds over time. But July is a good time to remind people just how much of yourself you put into these places.
A MONTH TO REFLECT AND RECHARGE Park and Recreation Month isn’ t just about celebration. It’ s a moment to step back, look around, and relish what you’ ve helped build. Not just the physical infrastructure, but the emotional landscape, too. The memories. The gatherings. The sense of belonging.
It’ s easy to forget all of that in the middle of the season. You’ re busy. The days are long. But your work leaves a mark and deserves to be celebrated.
Thank you for building, maintaining, improving, restoring and, above all, caring. For showing up, over and over again, to make sure our communities have a place to play.
Let’ s keep building and playing together.
Cort Jones is the director of content marketing at the National Recreation and Park Association. For more information about Park and Recreation Month, visit https:// www. nrpa. org / events / july /. sportsfieldmanagementonline. com July 2025 | SportsField Management
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