Encouraging Girls in Sports

Taster’s Choice Girls in Sports Day

On Saturday, more than 200 girls, including my daughters, Sarah and Grace, attended our Taster’s Choice Girls in Sports event at Kezar Stadium and Pavilion. The event, in celebration of the 25th annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day, gave young athletes a chance to sample a variety of sports, including golf, volleyball, basketball and track and field, and receive some basic coaching from local coaches and players.

I was extremely proud of our staff on Saturday, particularly program coordinator Melvina Hill, who organized the event and represented our Department well.

National Girls and Women in Sports Day honors the achievements of girls and women in sports and highlights the advancements that have occurred since the enactment of Title IX of the Education Amendments in 1972.

Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in federally funded education programs, including sports programs. Since its enactment, female participation in organized sports has increased dramatically. The number of female college athletes has jumped from 31,852, in 1972, to more than 150,000 today. High school girl participation jumped from fewer than 300,000 in 1972 to more than 2.78 million today.

NPC Survey

Results of the Neighborhood Park Council’s 2010 Park User Survey have been released, and I want to take this opportunity to thank our park partner and the more than 1,400 participants who took the time to tell NPC and the Rec and Park Department what you think of our parks and programs.

In the last seven years, our department has been asked to cut $43 million from its operating budget. Given this context, this survey offers us some helpful feedback about how we are navigating the current budget crisis in our parks.


Some highlights:

• 90% of survey respondents support our effort to reduce service cuts through revenue earned from increased park amenities and neighborhood events.
• 93.7% of survey respondents voted in favor of finding community partners to keep our clubhouses open rather than closing them down.
• 86% of survey respondents support foundation and corporate sponsors to help keep parks and recreation facilities well maintained and open with programming.

The survey also helps us understand what park users want and need from our department.

• Only 19.5% said community meetings were a preferred method of receiving information. Half of all survey respondents indicated that the best ways to communicate with park users is through the department’s new and improved website and e-newsletter and by posting relevant announcements at the park site.
• 57% of survey respondents said general park maintenance was their top funding priority.
• 45% of survey respondents would like to see more programs offered and longer operating hours in our rec centers.

The survey points to organizational strengths:

• 80% of survey respondents said Rec and Park takes action in response to their concerns
• 80% of survey respondents said our response to problems associated with revenue generating activities is fair, good or excellent.
• 73% of survey respondents felt our recreation program fees are affordable

And, it points to opportunities for organizational improvement:

• 67% of survey respondents are not aware of our new recreation delivery model.
• 55% of survey respondents think we need to continue to improve our community outreach regarding revenue generation ideas.
• 41% of survey respondents found their park restrooms to be dirty or unappealing to use.

I encourage all of you to take a look at the survey findings and continue to let us know what you think about your city parks.

Stow Lake Boathouse Vote

On Tuesday, February 2, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors will decide on a lease with new concessionaire Ortega Family Enterprises to operate the historic Stow Lake Boathouse in Golden Gate Park.

Last year, the Recreation and Park Commission approved the new vendor and the new lease, which guarantees almost a quarter of a million dollars worth of capital improvements to the aging boathouse and ensures that the visitor experience is upgraded at the popular park attraction.

Ortega, which has extensive experience turning around underperforming concessions, and which also has experience working with historic structures, has committed to providing visitors with a new indoor café area, a wide range of healthy, sustainable and affordable food options (including the traditional pink popcorn), and a brand new fleet of boats.

Ortega is the perfect fit for Stow Lake, and I can’t wait for our park users to see how committed they are to retaining the charm and feel of Stow Lake that generations of visitors have come to know and love.

Mid-Year Scorecard

I am proud to present our FY 2010-2011 mid-year scorecard, illustrating our cost-saving measures and increased performance. We have offset some budget cuts by raising revenue, reduced worker’s compensation costs, and reduced overtime. Meanwhile, our park scores are increasing and our new recreation model is reaching more people with more programs than ever before. We could not do this without the support of the community and especially our volunteers, who have given millions of dollars worth of their time and work to the department.

Though our department continues to face serious challenges, we have worked hard to continue our mission of maintaining beautiful parks and providing enriching recreational activities. We look forward to working with you to maintain our city’s parks and recreational facilities, and to keep them clean, safe and fun.

POS at Eureka Valley Rec Center

You asked for it, and it’s here. Point of Sales transactions are happening now at a few of our Rec and Park sites, making it easier for members of the public to drop in to some of our programs and pay on-site.

Eureka Valley Rec Center, Harvey Milk Center for Recreational Arts, the Randall Museum, the Japanese Tea Garden and Richmond Rec Center are sites currently offering POS transactions, and we will continue to assess our sites and implement this service wherever it’s feasible.