9358-R3_LGP_MechanicFalls_2024AnnualReport

Community Outreach

Parks and Recreation Department Director Mechanic Falls and Poland continue to collaborate with youth sports programs, providing opportunities for local children to engage in athletic activities, develop skills, and build community through teamwork. This partnership strengthens both towns’ commitment to fostering healthy, active lifestyles for the next generation. The benefits of joining forces are (1) to ensure regardless of participant numbers, residents of Mechanic Falls continue to have an opportunity to participate in youth sports. (2) to allow residents of RSU16 towns to have more experiences together at a younger age in hopes of bringing our larger school community together, and (3) to provide better resource efficiency. We feel that this has been progressing smoothly. Feedback and support from families seem to acknowledge that the efforts of both Mechanic Falls Recreation and Poland Parks & Recreation (PRD) continues to be effective. Additionally, by having a larger youth sports community, it has allowed more volunteers to be involved in maintaining facilities and coaching our youth. Our intended outcome for this collaboration is to increase participation, improve competition, cost savings for participants and administrators, enhancing community engagement, better coaching & training, increase in volunteer support, and stronger infrastructure. Overall, these collaborations can lead to more sustainable, inclusive, and competitive sports opportunities for all involved! In the chart below, I have included all our activities in which Mechanic Falls residents participate. Sports with an asterisk * are programs we combined with the Mechanic Falls Recreation Committee over the past few years.

Combined Programs Baseball * Camp Connor Cheering Cheer Camp Cross Country Easter Egg Hunt Father & Daughter Ball Field Hockey Field Hockey Camp

2025 21 30 31 13 2

Combined Programs Football/Flag football

2025 20 6

Football Camp Intro & Tee Ball

22 23 19 61 5 18 7

Mother & Son event Sideline Cheering Soccer * Soccer Camp

36 46

3 5

Softball * Tumbling

49