By LINDA CHION KENNEY
Kisha Perry was at Gibsonton Elementary School this month, promoting community-wide programming for all ages at the nearby Gardenville Recreation Center, which is similar to offerings at other recreation centers countywide.
But it wasn’t just the standard lineup for youth, afterschool and adult programming that Perry attested to. She addressed also a lineup of offerings for active adults, as well as the annual community events put on by the center in Gibsonton at 6219 Symmes Road.
That would include the Community Baby Shower, set for Sept. 30, for new and expectant moms to meet and learn about the resources available to them; the 43rd annual Active Life Games in October, for adults age 50 and older; the 3-on-3 Men’s Basketball Tournament for men ages 18 to 35, set for Oct. 14; and the Movie in the Park family event, set to feature Disney’s The Little Mermaid, starting at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 17. Magic and food trucks will be on hand as well, and folks are asked to bring their own chairs, blankets and movie treats.
This year Perry is on the committee planning for the countywide Active Life Games, which give participants a chance to compete at various parks and recreation facilities, depending on the contests they sign up for, be it pickleball, track, golf, tennis, bag toss and more. Competition can lead to national contests, and this year’s event has a western theme.
“Two weeks straight, there are different competitions every day,” said Perry, who is on the planning committee and in charge of decorations and emceeing at major events, including closing night ceremonies at park and recreation’s newly opened performing arts center in New Tampa.
Perry noted as well the first-ever Clash of the Bay four-on-four flag football tournament, scheduled for Oct. 7-8 at two locations, the SouthShore Sportsplex in Apollo Beach, at 6110 Waterset Blvd., and the Skyway Sports Complex in Tampa, at 601 East Kennedy Blvd.
As for the main reason Perry was at Gibsonton Elementary School, that was to promote the after-school program, “our bread and butter,” she said. Quality programming includes some time for homework and video games but also participation in a variety of sports and learning life skills through the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) curriculum, which covers topics such as teamwork and emotional intelligence.
Perry said the curriculum especially is needed coming out of the pandemic, which led to a ban on large-group activities for children, which are key to helping them learn social skills. The key to learning these skills, she added, “is to be seen, to be heard, to be part of a team and to really get an opportunity to be active.”
Toward that end, the afterschool Rec2fit program for youth ages 5 to 12 aims “to help raise a healthier generation of kids, by encouraging healthy lifestyle choices through physical activity and nutrition education.” The fee is $30 per week. There also is inclusion after-school care for children with special needs.
Other youth programming for physical, mental and social growth, includes flag football, dance, cheerleading, teen nights, the co-ed sewing club, preschool activities and summer camp 2024. Additional Camp Weeks are scheduled for fall break (Nov. 20-22), Winter Break I (Dec. 27-29), Winter Break II (Jan. 2-5) and Spring Break (March 11-15).
For active adults, programming includes table tennis; the walking club; pickleball lessons; soul line and urban line dance classes; open gym volleyball, basketball, badminton and pickleball; Bing-jo and lunch; white elephant Bing-jo; gentle flow yoga; day trip outings; and Senior Outdoor Active Recreation (SOAR), which involves guided trips around Tampa Bay. The Wellness Pass, at a cost of $10.75 per month, includes access to the fitness center and open gym activities.
Linda Chion Kenney Photo
Kisha Perry, Gardenville Recreation Center program supervisor, right, with Jazlyn, Janiel and Nashla, and Treyvarious Robinson, recreation leader, at Gibsonton Elementary School
Perry herself is no stranger to Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation, having spent her childhood days at the Nuccio Recreation Center in Tampa, down the road from her alma mater, King High School, where she earned her diploma in 1993.
At age 19 she got her first job with parks and recreation.
“If you know you have that one place to go, where you can smile and laugh and create memories, and it feels like you have a sense of belonging, that’s important to me,” Perry said.
Her goals are simple. Number one, that people, from infants to seniors, at the center are shown love. Number two, that they feel like they’re in a place where they belong.
The three-building campus, at 6219 Symmes Road, includes the main recreation center, the gym and the historic old Gibsonton school, which the county’s Department of Aging uses to provide dining and other programming for older, more sedentary seniors. The facility is available to rent for special occasions as well.
For more on Gardenville and other county recreation centers and after-school programs, visit www.HCFLGov.net and search for the center in question, or call Gardenville at (813)-672-1120.