Rec director praises efforts

Administrators, students credited for their assistance

As a longtime high school basketball coach, Perry Recreation Director Mike Smith has drawn up plenty of game plans.

When he took over as leader as the Perry Area Joint Recreation District in August, he also sketched out a game plan of sorts to help carry out his goal of providing top-notch youth recreation programs for the area.

So far, that plan has been working well for Smith, and he noted that one of the reasons behind its success is a good working relationship

with Perry Schools.

Smith lauded that spirit of cooperation when he gave a report to the Perry School Board at the panel’s recent meeting.

As head of Perry Rec, Smith works closely with the School District when scheduling games for youth sports programs and leagues that take place year round: volleyball and soccer in the fall; basketball during the winter; and baseball and softball throughout spring and summer.

Smith said Perry Schools Athletic Director T.J. Rockwell “has been a big help” with scheduling games and matches for the rec district’s many youth teams at “all of the wonderful facilities” in the school district.

“That’s been a nice plus to have these facilities that we can use,” Smith said.

Smith, whose office is located in the Manchester West building on the Perry Schools campus on Manchester Road, also said Schools Superintendent Jack Thompson “has been awesome” and Thompson’s secretaries and staff also have proved helpful in answering his many questions.

In addition, Smith praised the students and teachers in Perry High School’s Perry Service Learning program. PSL is an elective for seniors at Perry High School that combines English and social studies curriculum with volunteer opportunities to promote social involvement through education and service.

“(The PSL students) are volunteering,” Smith said. “They have to do four hours a week and they’re there even extra. They work during the day for me, work during the evening.”

Shortly after Smith began duties as recreation director, he told The NewsHerald that one of his goals was to strengthen ties between Perry High School coaches and students and the children participating in rec district programs.

“So that connection is something I’ve wanted to build between high school programs and youth because the youth-program kids just look up to those high school kids,” Smith told the School Board on Oct. 16.

Smith was hired as Perry’s new full-time recreation director on June 6, not long after he retired following a 34-year teaching career. Most of those years as a teacher were spent at Madison High School, where he continues to serve as varsity girls basketball coach.

Along with hiring Smith, the Perry Area Joint Recreation District Board also appointed David Whittaker as part-time assistant recreation director.

“I suggested to the Perry Rec Board that they hire us both, with me taking a little less money as director and giving them the ability to use that money try to bring on an assistant,” Smith said in a previous News-Herald story. “They were able to work it out so they were able to hire Dave and I. That way in the winters, when I’m full fledged into basketball, we’ll have Dave here to cover any evening things that I might have to miss because of my schedule.”

Smith told the School Board on Oct. 16 that his new position as rec director is sometimes hectic, but always satisfying.

“I’ve been pretty busy,” he said. “But I’m enjoying it, it’s been great.”