The following article comes from the Aspen Institute’s State of Play Baton Rouge report. The report assesses the opportunities and barriers for more children to access sports and physical activity in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana.

Baton Rouge leads the U.S. with 1.6 recreation or senior centers for every 10,000 residents, according to the Trust for Public Land. But the quality of many rec centers is lacking. In a 10-year strategic plan released in 2024, BREC determined that its existing model of 56 rec centers is too large to maintain and does not meet community needs. Thirty percent of the rec centers lack air conditioning and another 20% are rated in poor condition.

The volume of rec centers requires significant staffing for BREC to operate and maintain the facilities. Many rec centers are open for limited hours because of staffing levels. BREC struggles to recruit and retain qualified staff, many of whom are part-time employees and only stay three to five years, impacting the quality of programming at rec centers.

In addition, privately owned indoor facilities often are far more accessible to higher-income families with reliable transportation options. For example, the Team Automotive Group Sportsplex at BREC’s Perkins Road Community Park calls itself the largest indoor basketball facility in Baton Rouge and the largest indoor volleyball facility in Louisiana. It’s home to premier club teams and tournaments — contrary to the intended purpose when it opened in 2012 as part of a cooperative agreement with BREC.

“It was originally built as a place to bring a cross-section of Baton Rouge together,” said Baton Rouge Community College Athletic Director Brock Kantrow, who helped build the complex and led programming on site. “It’s not subsidized, so it’s turned into a very expensive place to play. It’s become a country club arena, which was not the intent.”

Solutions

Consolidate rec centers

In a 2024 BREC survey, 72% of Baton Rouge residents supported fewer but higher quality rec centers. BREC’s goal is to eliminate one-quarter of its rec centers (at least 14 total) over the next 10 years that are underutilized and redundant. BREC’s initial recommendations for cuts, in future consultation with communities, include Drusilla Lane Community Center, Farr Park Recreation Center, Blueberry Community Center, Flannery Road Recreation Center, Belfair Community Center and Red Oaks Recreation Center. BREC projects savings of $981,000 in annual operations and maintenance costs by cutting 14 rec centers.

Create a tiered recreation center model

BREC recommends transitioning to a tiered model to improve quality and support sustainable staffing and maintenance. Tier 1 rec centers would serve a broader area by acting as a destination for the district or beyond. (BREC organizes park services and maintenance by eight districts in East Baton Rouge Parish.) These would be larger facilities with a greater range of recreation opportunities (such as gyms, indoor courts, indoor walking tracks, fitness areas, pools and other indoor rec spaces) and a higher level of BREC programming. Tier 2 rec centers would serve as a destination for the local neighborhood. They would be compact facilities that focus on spaces for smaller groups and events with limited BREC programming,requiring self-guided recreation opportunities and partnership programs.

Build more “airnasiums” at outdoor recreation hubs

An airnasium is a versatile, open-air gym for a variety of activities, including sports, with a roof that provides shade. While airnasiums are not a fool-proof solution to the growing challenge of extreme heat, they offer some relief at lower cost than indoor gyms, which require spending on air conditioning. BREC converted Tickie Saia’s recreation center to an airnasium by removing the walls to create better airflow while still providing a shaded place to play. Imagine more pick-up basketball games or small-sided soccer games on airnasium courts in Baton Rouge.

Develop private investment for indoor complexes equitably distributed across Baton Rouge

“The true model would be if there were sportsplexes built around the city — North Baton Rouge, SouthBaton Rouge, East Baton Rouge and West Baton Rouge,” Kantrow said. “You need corporate dollars,transportation and the right people to fully integrate that. It has to be a private entity to take this on. It’s not BREC. BREC is spread too thin on things other than athletics.” In its 10-year strategic plan released in 2024, BREC seemed to acknowledge as much by recommending that it must define its role in the athletics community in order to focus its impact on more consistent, high-quality work.

Jon Solomon is Community Impact Director of the Aspen Institute’s Project Play initiative. Jon can be reached at jon.solomon@aspeninstitute.org.