The City of Denton Parks and Recreation department has a whole division dedicated to Athletics. You may ask yourself what does that consist of? As a team, we provide recreational sports programs and events to the community. These programs are designed to provide opportunities for people to participate in athletic activities in a relaxed and fun environment. These programs include a wide range of sports, such as basketball, volleyball, soccer, flag football, running, cornhole, and more, and they are organized for individuals of all ages and skill levels. It is our goal to encourage physical activity and to create a sense of community through shared interests and friendly competition.
The Athletics division has two centers that we operate for the department. The Goldfield Tennis Center and North Lakes Driving Range can both be found at North Lakes Park. We partner with tennis and golf professionals at both locations to offer lessons, classes, and tournaments. The City of Denton is building a new tennis center that will be called the Denton Tennis Center. The current projected opening is June 2023. This new center will be home to a new pro shop, 12 tennis courts, and 8 pickleball courts.
In addition to the programs, events, and centers that we operate, we also partner with local youth sports associations. We work with the Denton Soccer Association, Denton Boys Baseball Inc., and Denton County Youth Football League to provide additional organized sports leagues. While these associations use City of Denton parks to offer their programs, they are operated separately. None of the board members are employees of the Parks and Recreation department. We feel strongly about the opportunities that these associations provide to the youth of the Denton Community. Participation in youth sports has been shown to have a positive impact on academic performance and overall well-being.
Lastly, we work to generate economic impact by renting out sports complexes for athletic tournaments. Economic Impact is a term that refers to the effect a particular event has on the overall economy of a region. By offering large-scale tournaments in our parks, we drive people to Denton. While here for the event, they will spend money at local restaurants, shopping centers, and hotels. This can lead to increased consumer spending, which in turn can increase economic growth, higher levels of income, and improved standards of living for individuals and communities.