Recreation direcotor has new vision

HIGH SPRINGS – The City of High Springs has a new recreation director with high goals.

“It was perfect timing,” Robert Basford said, reminiscing on how he came upon the new job just as he had started working in Alachua.

As a program assistant at the City of Alachua’s Hal Brady Alachua Recreation Complex, Basford participated in citywide recreation meetings and gained experience and knowledge about organizing activities such as baseball tournaments and networking teams for students.

Basford, a 22-year-old graduate student at the University of Florida, has a bachelor’s degree in Sports Management, and is currently studying for his master’s in Recreational Parks and tourism as well as Sports Management.

He started his new job as the City of High Springs Recreation Director in High Springs after accepting the job in February.

But in those few short weeks since then, his vision for the department is beginning to take shape.

“I only just started,” he said about his plans for the future and for the community’s recreation facilities.

His agenda includes maintaining and mastering the current programs, as well as expanding them in the future.

“I’m looking to involve more unique programs, as well as applying for grants to improve the facilities,” he said.

Some of the programs he would like to include are tennis, tennis lessons, ultimate Frisbee and adult recreation.

And, he said, fitness trails.

“Those are always nice.”

He would also love for a gym to be built, but acknowledged that’s a large undertaking.

“That’s a bit of a pipedream,” Basford said.

Basford’s varied duties keep him busy, from working with parents, to maintaining playing fields and keeping them clean, as well as executing and creating programs involving the teams.

First and foremost though, Basford’s priority in his position is to maintain and improve the facilities that are already existing in High Springs. This also includes the preservation of recreational programs that he says really bring the community together — recreation for kids.

“This has a huge impact if it all works out,” he said.

“Recreation keeps the kids busy; they learn to work within a team and become leaders,” Basford said.

He also explains how being a team member serves to encourage kids to keep their grades up through high school, and to stay healthy. “And keep them out of trouble,” he added.

Basford said that even though he just started as the city’s recreation director, recreation has always been a big part of his life.

Whenever he goes out on the ball field to the games and sees the younger children playing baseball or softball, he feels a sense of gratification.

“They don’t really know what they’re doing,” Basford said. “But, they have a blast regardless. And that’s what recreation is all about.”

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