I haven't posted here in a while. But I've been thinking about what I want Momentum Recreation to become—and who I want it to help. After years in parks and recreation, I've learned something: Being a strong recreation leader isn't about doing everything yourself. It's about building a team and systems that allow great work to happen without everything depending on you. I've experienced the difference firsthand. I've helped turn a six-hour administrative process into a 15-minute process. I've helped grow a youth basketball program from 2 teams to 7. I've learned that when an event or operation depends on you solving every problem, the answer isn't always to work harder. Sometimes, the answer is to build a better system. That's what Momentum Recreation Academy is here to explore: - How to delegate without losing control. - How to hold people accountable while developing them. - How to improve operations instead of accepting unnecessary chaos. - How to become a leader who develops people, not just manages tasks. No generic leadership advice. Just practical lessons, real experiences, and tools recreation professionals can use in the field. Haven't completed the MRA survey yet? I'd appreciate your input! 👉 Take the Survey Here: https://forms.gle/AWMFzH3NEJrodDULA Let's make this a two-way conversation. We can learn so much from each other. Recreation leaders: What's one responsibility you wish your staff could handle independently, without you having to constantly follow up? I'm listening, and I want to build resources around the real challenges we face. Let's Build Momentum Together ✊🏾

If results are slow, check the system before you check your staff. Here’s the truth most leaders miss: When parents walk away, paperwork stacks up, or transactions stall, the problem isn’t always effort — it’s process. Strong leaders don’t just correct people. They audit the system. Ask the question that matters: “What part of this process makes your job harder than it needs to be?” Then listen — don’t defend. Ownership means being willing to change what you built. Accountability means ensuring results happen, no excuses. Your Action This Week: 1️⃣ Identify one area where results feel slow. 2️⃣ Spot outdated, duplicated, or unnecessary steps. 3️⃣ Ask your team what makes it harder than it should be. 4️⃣ Fix one thing and follow up. Leaders who model ownership set the standard. When the system works, the team succeeds — and accountability becomes part of the culture. Let’s Build Momentum Together ✊🏾

This week was about Team Over Ego. Understand the system before trying to fix it. Because in recreation, problems don’t come from bad staff… they come from leaders moving faster than their understanding. Think about your actual week. Where did you slow down and ask, rather than immediately correcting? What happened differently because you did? Now the real one: Where did you still jump in too fast and take over? No excuses — just awareness. Here’s the adjustment for next week: Before correcting a staff member, ask one question first: “Walk me through why you did it this way.” You’ll learn more in 30 seconds than in 30 minutes of directing. Shout someone out: Who on your team handled something well this week? What exactly did they do? Leaders who look for wins build stronger teams. Leadership isn’t one big change. It’s small corrections, repeated weekly. Lock in that Momentum ✊🏾

When I first stepped into my coordinator role, I felt unstoppable. I had worked under one of the best Senior Directors I’d ever seen. He used to tell me, “My path up is the exception, not the rule.” I learned his systems. I could step into any position. I understood the culture. I had just finished my Master’s in Organizational Psychology. Experience? Check. Education? Check. Confidence? High. Then I stepped into my new center. And it felt like I landed on a different planet. This park had its own rhythm. The staff had been there for years. The administrative system had been in place for decades. The director had a leadership philosophy that was very different from what I was used to. My goal? Improve everything. Modernize the workflow. Upgrade administrative processes. Introduce “better” systems. Then reality hit. I wasn’t learning the system. I was evaluating it. I wasn’t observing the culture. I was trying to reshape it. While juggling my own programs — sports leagues, teen club, special events — I was also trying to introduce new processes the director hadn’t approved. I told myself I was being proactive. But what I was actually doing was creating friction. Staff were confused. The director was frustrated. I was stressed. And the more I tried to fix things, the worse it felt. One day it clicked. Until I had my own location, I wasn’t there to redesign the park. I was there to support the director’s vision. My first instinct was to prove I was capable. Instead, I shifted to a better question: “How can I serve this team better?” That meant: Learning the existing system. Understanding the director’s philosophy. Playing to staff strengths instead of replacing their methods. Instead of saying, “We should upgrade this,” I started asking, “Help me understand how this works.” That one shift changed everything. Before vs After If I had kept pushing my ideas? I would have earned a reputation for being difficult instead of capable. Instead, once I aligned with the system:

Why do some Recreation Coordinators stay coordinators for years…even though they work hard and care about their programs? Because promotion isn’t based on effort. It's based on trust at the leadership level. Supervisors don’t promote the busiest person. They promote the person who reduces problems. Here’s the difference: A busy coordinator: • Runs good programs • Fixes issues when they appear • Handles their own assignments well A promotable leader: • Prevents issues before they start • Sets expectations with staff early • Handles difficult conversations directly • Protects culture and standards Recreation leadership is risk management. Your supervisor is constantly asking: “Can I trust this person with a facility, staff conflict, and parent complaint… without me getting involved?”\ If the answer is maybe — you stay a coordinator. If the answer is yes — you get keys. 🎯 Quick Action This week, don’t just complete tasks. Identify one recurring problem at your site and prevent it before it happens. 💡 Micro-Shift Stop asking: “Did I do my job?” Start asking: “Did I make my supervisor’s job easier?” That’s the moment leadership starts. Let’s Keep the Momentum Rolling.