Sports serve as the foundation of providing people with healthy habits and help build relationships along the way. The adult sports programs at Valpo Parks have presented community members with opportunities to be active and connect with their peers.
Dan Lukes, adult recreation director at Valpo Parks, notes that they cover nine different sports: ping pong, pickleball, softball, soccer, ultimate frisbee, cornhole, kickball, volleyball and ice hockey.
“We try to offer as much diversity with the sports offerings that we have,” Lukes said. “We try to include everyone in our recreational aspects. To coin an old phrase, it's the weekend warrior thing where people just want to get out and do something. It might be a sport that they used to play or something they’re picking up, but either way, it’s great because it allows the players to enjoy the camaraderie of their teammates.”
Valpo Parks is always putting the people first when it comes to innovative ways to enhance its adult sports programs. Lukes discusses how some of the unique sports that they offer have grown in recent years throughout the Valparaiso community.
“We’re always listening to the players as far as making any changes or additions,” Lukes said. “Pickleball and ping pong have been some of the sports that have grown a bit more in recent years. It’s great to see people in our city that want to be more active and pick up an old or new sport. It’s not just about the physical side of it; there’s also a mental and psychological aspect of being out there with others.”
To ensure that all nine sports function with ease for these adult programs, it’s important for Valpo Parks to have amenities that are clean and kept in order.
“We make it a point of emphasis to provide the best facilities, and we take pride in how we maintain them,” Lukes said. “We want to make people feel comfortable and welcome when they’re playing here. If we’re not able to provide something in one area, we try to make sure that we can make up for it as far as the facility, staff or the program itself.”
Ultimately, Lukes is proud of the progress that has been made to elevate these adult sports programs at Valpo Parks. He’s excited for how they will continue to utilize their resources to draw interest to their sports within the community.
“We often take surveys and ask people what they want to see and how that can benefit them,” Lukes said. “We’re always listening and seeing what we can do to make these things possible. For example, it would be wonderful to have an indoor dome facility and provide softball all year long. We’re always having conversations about improvement, and that’s what makes it a lot of fun.”
The indoor facility is one of many ideas that have been brought up in conversation. Lukes acknowledged that Valpo Parks has been looking at where they can use their resources for ways to enhance their programs.
For more information on Valpo Parks, you can visit its website.
