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ZEBULON - Pike Parks & Recreation has been busy the past month. Great things have been accomplished by the community coming together!

Victoria Bryan is the Interim Director at this time. She was hired under Director Larry Moss as the Recreation Assistant about two years ago and tasked with helping plan events and doing payroll and deposits. She began helping out more to fill the gap when Moss stepped down.

Chris Childress served without compensation as the Interim Director until Ray Wilkerson was hired as the Director. Wilkerson served until he stepped down in early February of this year.

Bryan sat down with Pike County Times prior to Opening Day in mid-March to give an overview of what has been going on since February.

Looking for a Rec Director

Pike County Parks & Recreation is in the process of hiring a new director. Applications were accepted until March 20, and the Parks & Rec Board has begun a review of applications has begun in order to fill that position.

What does the director do? “It’s not hanging out at the ballfields. It’s not making rules for baseball. It is discussing the budget with the county. It is overseeing every single sports program. It is overseeing running this place, getting projects completed based on our ten year plan that was presented and accepted, and it is helping the board find funding.”

She also pointed out that it is also community and business relations and said Wilkerson was good at this because he helped obtain over $500,000 in grading at the facility at no extra cost to Parks & Rec.

Bryan stressed that having activities at Pike Parks & Recreation is an opportunity for the kids. Everyone -- those who work there, the parents, the coaches, and the many volunteers -- keeps showing up for the kids.

What Is Going On Now?

Opening Day for softball and baseball was held Saturday, March 16th. Opening day required sorting over 800 uniforms for all of the players who are a part of baseball and softball this year. That is hard to fathom without seeing the number of boxes that covered the hallway and rooms in the building with various pieces of uniforms such as pants, shirts, etc. that had to be sorted and then placed into boxes for each team.

“There has been such an outpouring of support and love after Ray left,” she said. “We appreciate everyone who has come to help out,” Bryan said. Kayla Clower is pictured above as she worked at sorting uniforms prior to opening day.

The number of kids playing softball and baseball are unprecedented with almost 80 teams and 802 kids signed up to play this year. Last year, there were about 740 kids registered to play.

And two multipurpose fields have been added at Parks & Rec that will be in play throughout the year.

Regular spring season will run through April and end in the beginning of May with post season tournaments being immediately afterward. Tournament play takes place mid-May and runs through June.

Basketball Is A Growing Sport

Pike Parks & Rec received a Hawks grant for basketball last year that helping this growing sport. Basketball utilizes the Primary, Elementary, and Middle school gyms as well as the gym at Life Springs Church to host games.

There were 133 boys and 29 girls signed up last year. There are 167 boys and 47 girls signed up for this year. “Our basketball program is growing,” Bryan said.

When asked about a basketball gym, she advised that a gym with adjustable bleachers is about $2.4 million on a low end estimate. “We are exploring different funding options because getting a gym is a top priority,” she said. “It’s been included in the ten year plan since day one,” she said.

Pike Co. Youth Basketball is for ages 6 - 12 years old and registration is from late September thru early October. Practice starts in November with games starting in December and ending in early February.

What Is Coming Up?

2023 Pike County Parks & Recreation Youth Tackle Football Registration will open on Monday, May, 1st at 8 a.m. for 6U,7U, 8U, 9U, 10U, 11U, & 12U Tackle Football and will close on Friday, June 16th (OR until teams fill up).

Registration for Fall Baseball will begin online in early July and close after 2 weeks (OR until teams fill up). Age divisions offered for baseball will be 6U, 8U, 10U, 12U & 14U.

**We now offer an 18u Baseball League so 15 year olds can continue to play.

Registration for Fall Softball will begin online in early July and will close after 2 weeks (OR until teams fill up). Age divisions offered for softball will be 6U, 8U, 10U, 12U & 16U.

** Rec has absorbed cheer, registration will go through Rec for the first time ever.

According to the Pike County Recreation Cheer Association Facebook page (click here for FB page), they will be doing online registration starting May 1st and end on May 15th. There will be two fitting days in June to select from when registering. These will be mandatory, and parents will select their day at time of registration. This will be for the fall 2024 football season. They will offer basketball cheer again and hold sign-ups later in the fall.

Looking Toward the Future

We hosted our first ever Christmas Night Market here in December in coordination with the Zebulon Christmas Parade, Bryan said. “It was very successful,” she said. “And because that was such a success, we are hoping to have other vendor events coming up.”

Pike Parks & Rec has a successful Jazzercize program going on here six days a week taught by Tina Bannister.

We are working with Matthew Peterson who will be teaching a variety of different art classes where kids and adults can learn to draw and or do oil paintings. These classes started in April.

We brought back the Father-Daughter Dance and introduced the Mother-Son Dance which won an award through the GRPA. “I am so proud of this,” she said. The Father-Daughter Dance is April 12, and the Mother-Son Dance is May 11.

2nd Annual Mother Son Dance! Tickets went on sale April 8 and end May 3 at 4 p.m. Space is limited so don't wait so don't miss out on the PCPRA's AWARD WINNING Mother Son Dance "Take Me Out to the Ball!" It is a two day event this year with Night 1 on May 10th and Night 2 on May 11th. More information is at www.pikecorec.org.

There will also be a FREE Fall Festival / Movie in the Park on October 19th. We will be hosting our 3rd annual pumpkin carving contest again furing that event as well.

Closing

Bryan said that she is also working on bringing therapeutic recreation (TR) programs to Pike Parks & Rec. These are recreation activities and sports that are geared toward differently-abled people.

Parks & Rec is also looking at 4U (age 4 and under) flag football as a way to introduce kids to the football program as well as looking at potential adult recreation activities.

There will also be a lot of free, fun, kid-oriented events coming up this summer. Find out more about Pike County Parks & Recreation at www.pikecorec.org.

If you would like to participate in the many volunteer opportunities that are available at Pike County Parks and Recreation like coaching, assisting with park projects, and assisting with events, please email Victoria Bryan at vbryan@pikecoga.com.