The Sadye Gibbs Martin Community Center is open and ready to embrace the community with a variety of new programs aiming to be a perfect fit for all residents.
The center has been open for five months now and has already seen a warm welcome from its community. The former MLK Rec Center was beloved, to say the very least, and many mourned its loss when storm damage to the aging building led commissioners to choose to demolish the structure and build a massive, multi-million dollar facility in its place.
However, the potential and vision for the new facility has won over many who have taken the time to visit.
“I want this center to harbor a positive environment for people of all walks of life, ages and backgrounds,” Julie Garretson, Recreation Supervisor II, said. “I want us to provide something for everyone and to make sure anyone who walks through those doors feels like they’re a part of the community at this community center. Whenever people come in they often will share stories with me about all the memories they, or their parents or grandparents, had at the old community center. I love to hear those stories and I want to make this the perfect place for the next generation to make similar memories here.”
The center, which has already overcome a variety of hurdles by successfully opening in the middle of a pandemic, has new strategies in place to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Anyone who enters the building with the intent to stay has their temperature checked at the front lobby via new kiosks. High-touch areas — like doors, equipment like volleyballs and basketballs and other areas that receive frequent contact — are constantly disinfected. Anyone who enters the building is required to wear a mask and the staff keep their masks on as well until they return to their individual offices. When players are in the gym, they are asked to keep their masks on until they begin exercising. For example, the players wear their masks while on the bench during games but take them off once they enter the game. And during the exercise classes, attendees are socially distanced and have the choice to remove their masks if they wish. Many choose to keep them on but those who feel comfortable may remove them at that time.
“We want to promote healthy lifestyles here so we are taking this seriously and ask those who walk through our doors to as well,” Garretson said. “We want to make sure everyone feels safe enough to come out and enjoy the facilities and everything we have to offer.”
The community center frequently updates its calendar with programs and events offered at the facility. While everything is subject to change due to COVID-19, the current plan is to steadily increase the offerings at the center. The full calendar can be found on the center’s website at plantcitygov.com/parksrec/page/sadye-gibbs-martin-community-center-programming. You can also follow the Parks and Recreation Department on Facebook at @pcrecandparks.
The center currently has its after school program for children age 5-12. The free Open Gym sessions are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. It’s one of the most popular activities offered and the center currently has nearly 1,300 unique memberships. Court space and capacity will vary due to programming and events. Basketball, volleyball and pickleball courts are available. When you come for the first time, you fill out a registration waiver and then you can simply check in with your phone number on each visit afterward.
The Walk-n-Talk open sessions from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. each day let anyone who wants to use the interior of the air-conditioned gym or the outside of the building to do laps comfortably move around and get their miles in.
M.A.T.E.S. Fitness — a free energy-filled fitness class for all ability levels — is from 10 to 11 a.m. every other Saturday. The group is in the process of adding a weekday to its schedule. There is also a yoga class for all skill levels from 2 to 3 p.m. on Sunday. The class is $10 and focuses on “building strength, better balance and overall flexibility through breath work, grounding and thoughtful sequencing.”
Youth can take part in the free Youth Basketball Skills and Drills from 5 to 6 p.m. on on Wednesday.
DSLA has its tutoring sessions from 6 to 7 p.m. Monday and Wednesday.
This is just the beginning for the center.
By this summer the center wants to restart an adult basketball league and then hopefully add an adult pickleball league soon afterward. Garretson added that they want to soon start a college and career mentorship program that will be free for high school students. It will cover topics like credit scores, studying for the SATs, getting ready for college and plenty of other things that are often overlooked in schools. Those who want to do something else after graduation other than college will learn how to search for jobs and to present their best skills to land the career of their dreams. That program aims to kick off in February.
There will also soon be a coffee, games and conversation program for adults who want to ease back into the programs at the community center. This morning program will allow residents to come in, enjoy a cup of coffee, play some games and have some pleasant conversation with their neighbors. There will also be some teaching elements on topics like how to use Zoom so those who struggle to understand the new, rapidly evolving technology can stay up-to-date.
One of the most exciting things on the horizon is the Her Time to Play program, which is a partnership with the WNBA. This is specifically for girls age 7-14 and will give them lessons on confidence, teach them how to face challenges and learn values on and off the court as well as feature life skill builders. It’s completely free and will begin in April. The registration link will be on the Parks and Rec Facebook page as well as at the center when it is available.
April will also have co-ed cheerleading for a low cost.
“My goal is to make sure that anyone who walks in our doors has something for them here,” Garretson said. “Every community, every background can feel at home and be safe here. This community center is just that: a center of the community, for the community and it’s important to me to ensure that everyone in our community has something here they love and want to be a a part of.”
To channel that community spirit, Garretson said she hopes to soon have a community track meet at the Marshall Middle Magnet School track for anyone age 5 and up. She said it’ll be great to have experienced community members come and have some friendly competition with the younger runners. There will be five to six different events, food trucks and a few other celebratory elements. Since the center opened in the middle of a pandemic, there really wasn’t a traditional grand opening event for the entire community to come out to. This will be a much-anticipated celebration.
The city’s annual summer camp program starts in June for kids in grades K-8. The city has also approved the addition of a playground at the facility for this fiscal year.
If you have ideas for programming, please contact Garretson at recinfo@plantcitygov.com.