Cheer Story: Celebrating Recreation Professionals Week: Nathaniel Carrington's Impact in Stoughton!

June 17th to 23rd is slated Recreation Professionals Week in Saskatchewan for the seventh consecutive year. In recognition of this occasion, we would like to take the opportunity to profile a Recreation Director from the southeast.

Nathaniel Carrington is the Recreation Director for the Town of Stoughton. He oversees the town’s four recreational areas that include a golf course, swimming pool, ice rink and curling rink. A new-ish transplant to the community, Nathaniel has been in his position for ten months.  His other key responsibilities include grant writing, programming, training employees, event planning, and networking.

When asked about what attracted him to this career path, Nathaniel said, "Before going to university I had no idea what I wanted to do. When I saw that Mount Royal University offered a Sports Recreation and Management degree, I was quite intrigued as I had never heard of anything like that before. After reading the program description, I learned that it was not just sports management but also community program development that played a massive part in the degree—something that I was and still am passionate about to this day.”

“Once I found this job after my graduation, I knew that this was my opportunity to do something great and have an impact on a community. Ever since then I have loved working in the town and have been able to apply my knowledge while also being able to learn new skills...”

When asked about the impact and benefits his position has had on the community, Nathaniel noted, "One of the benefits of working in such a small community is that you can closely listen to what the community needs to thrive. Because Stoughton is such a small town, you get to learn about everyone's attitudes, behaviors, what they like and don't like, and that helps me with program idea development and delivery. This summer, we aim to start a summer camp pilot program. There are a couple of other ideas that we plan on trying, but the camp is our main priority."

Nathaniel Carrington finds the most enjoyable part of his job to be experimenting with new events and programming within the town. “Whenever I get to brainstorm, I always try to think of unique ideas that towns don't have access to, to provide exciting experiences for all!”

We would like to extend a huge thanks to Nathaniel and all the recreation professionals in the province celebrating this week. Your dedication and efforts make our communities vibrant and enjoyable places to live. Thank you for all that you do!

Is your community considering developing a recreation position? Are your volunteers stressed and overloaded? Do you need some assistance and information to get you started? Look no further! Contact South East Sport, Culture & Recreation District for details on our “Hiring a Recreation Director” Workshop, delivered in partnership with the Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association (SPRA).