SPRINGFIELD – High school sports fans – particularly those who follow the Springfield Millers and Thurston Colts – heard plenty of good news last Tuesday during the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce’s ‘Roundtable’ event.
Eric Adams and Kenny Weigandt, senior leaders at Willamalane Parks & Recreation District, presented the organization’s 20-year comprehensive plan. The scope and scale are significant; a key aspect is accessibility for youth sports development, which will continue to grow the vitality and talent of Springfield and Thurston student-athletes for generations to come, with more opportunities for development.
“We have offered some form of youth recreation sports since our inception in 1944,” said Weigandt, Willamalane’s community engagement director. “It’s always a big part because recreation and sports are closely tied together. Kids can get an opportunity to play more, and the more time they can play, the better they will get. So I think the sheer number of parks and spaces that we have for kids to hone their craft and recreate plays into it. It’s a community-based thing to harbor some of these talents.”
Willamalane’s comprehensive plan was first unveiled in September 2023 when the board realized that so much had changed in the Springfield area since the last plan was adopted in 2012. After surveying more than 3,800 community members across all demographics, Willamalane created a plan to guide its projects in the next two decades, ranging from future park projects to the level of park service.
Expanding facilities and maintaining amenities will also be emphasized to enhance youth sports development and accessibility.
Willamalane has already been a destination venue, training facility, and resource for Springfield and Thurston, and its activities ranged from hosting high school-level practice to national tournaments. The Millers’ and Colts’ swimming teams use Willamalane for practice and competitions.
Willamalane venues also host national tournaments that bring more than 20,000 people to the area, such as the annual Matt Hartner Memorial Volleyball Classic, which features up to 264 high school teams from Washington, Oregon, Canada, Idaho, Montana, California, Alaska, Puerto Rico and Hawaii. There’s also the Emerald Team Challenge – a regional coed gymnastics tournament that took place in February.
Sports is good business
“If we’re putting on our chamber board hat, that’s a real opportunity for tourism,” he said. “There are a lot of opportunities for Springfield to capitalize on that type of tourism.”
J.B. Carney, sports and interim director for Travel Lane County, praised the robust development of sports culture that Willamalane has brought to Springfield through its partnership.
“I would say just from the two events – the volleyball tournament and the gymnastics tournament – you’re probably looking at close to $5 million in economic impact,” he said. “So we couldn’t do what we do from the sports commission standpoint without their help and tremendous partnership.”
Photo by Amelia Remington Corbari
It’s no secret that Springfield sports development has a quickening pulse – as it has always been in the shadow of its bigger counterpart – Eugene, aka TrackTown USA. But how can this new development and 20-year plan elevate high school sports to this level?
Weigandt said Willamalane can bridge the gap by furthering accessibility and participation. He stressed that Willamalane already has been fostering talent by offering resources for Springfield and Thurston’s high-skilled athletes, in addition to stressing the importance of general physical fitness.
“I see some of these highly skilled Springfield and Thurston athletes using our facilities all the time,” Weigandt said. “We offer a resource for them to get out of it. If we didn’t exist, I don’t know where they would have the ability to kind of keep their practice up in life. So sometimes, it’s league-based. Sometimes, it’s just on your own. The other thing is that physical fitness is a huge part of sports. So hiking trails might not directly correlate to a kid being good at a certain sport, but keeps them in shape; it makes it easier for them to get outdoors and run and exercise and get fit.”
A valuable pipeline
Adams, Willamalane’s planning, parks, and facilities director, agreed.
“We want to continue to ensure that we sustain high-quality facilities,” he said. “We want to confirm that folks are excited to come and enjoy, that we’re adapting to needs across the communities and the population and demographics change. We know that different age demographics and socio-economic demographics have a direct effect on the recreation programming demands of the community, so we are keeping pace with that.”
Amelia Remington Corbari / Photo
One example of the accessibility that has been bridged for these youth demographics is through transportation.
Willamalane has a middle school sports program and an afterschool sports program, both of which provide transportation. The programs cater to kids who lack the resources to join club teams, providing them with their first opportunity to play sports.
Many high school coaches have cited that such elementary and middle school programs are essential to the success of a high school athletics program. They help leverage current star high school athletes as recruiters and help middle schoolers gain more sports experience earlier, which could help their collegiate prospects as well.
“Some of the partnerships that we have are huge for that,” Weigandt said, specifically citing Team Springfield participants such as the City, Springfield Public Schools, and SUB. “That’s a big part of our comprehensive plan.”
Goals and themes
GOALS
■ Continue to operate the district at the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) accredited national standards.
■ Provide a safe and equitable system of parks and natural areas.
■ Provide an easily accessed and connected system of paths and trails.
■ Provide access to high-quality and affordable recreation facilities.
■ Strive for a high standard of care for the maintenance of parks, trails, and facilities across the district.
■ Offer recreation programs and services that respond to the community’s needs and encourage healthy lifestyles.
■ Be a responsible steward of district resources and partnerships.
THEMES
■ Proactively Plan and Design Future Park Projects
■ Expand the Level of Service in Existing Parks
■ Conduct Minor Updates in Existing Parks
■ Develop New Parks in Growing and High Priority Areas
■ New Acquisitions
■ Trail Projects
■ Building Facilities
■ Coordinate with Partners
