Brooksville Parks and Recreation Department develops after-school program

BROOKSVILLE — Afternoons at the park, playing ball, running and laughter.

Those are some of Tina Nichols' childhood memories.

"I was a die-hard jockette," Nichols said. "I would throw my books down and run to the park."

Nichols, a recreational leader with the Brooksville Parks and Recreation Department, is developing a new after-school program with colleagues at the Jerome Brown Community Center to recreate that experience for youngsters.

The program is free for city residents in the second through eighth grade, and will include assistance with homework as well as noncompetitive sports activities. It is scheduled to begin Monday and run from 3 to 6 p.m. weekdays. Registration will remain open until the 25 spaces are taken.

The city recently added sidewalks in the vicinity of the Jerome Brown Center, improving access to the facility, Nichols said. The center and the adjacent Tom Varn Park include a walking trail, softball fields, a children's playscape, a golf course, tennis courts and batting cages.

Officials have been planning activities and working to connect with parents in the community. They hope to provide a safe, supervised place for youngsters after school.

"Rather than stay home and be alone, we'd like them come up here and use the center," recreational leader Evelyn Lehman said. "If we get a slew of kids, we have staff, we could utilize the whole park."

"Parents are working these days," Mike Walker, parks and recreation director, said. "I'm sure at times children are home alone. We're hoping kids get off the couch, come and do their homework and have some fun."

The team hopes to introduce the youngsters to a variety of activities and create a love of sports and physical fitness. The program is paid for from the Jerome Brown Community Center's annual budget.

"The staffing for the after-school program is provided by full-time employees that are doing their normal job duties," Walker said.

And part of those duties include teaching children that being active can be fun.

"We want kids to say, 'We had a lot of fun at the Jerome Brown Center today,' " Nichols said.

Shary Lyssy Marshall can be reached at slmarshall.sptimes@gmail.com