Manteca Has Lots of Places for Children To Play and Compete
Leave a Comment“Most parks are within a 10-minute walk from your home,” says Brandy Clark, Recreation and Community Services Manager. For a complete list of fun events and competitions for children, adults, and seniors check out the Recreation Activity Guide.
MANTECA CALIF. —The City of Manteca offers a total of 68 parks and community facilities, out of which 50 are exclusively designed to cater to children’s play and competitive activities. These parks offer a variety of programs throughout the year.
Furthermore, Manteca has 18 specialty parks and community facilities, including a skate park, pickleball courts, tennis center, Northgate Softball Complex, Lincoln Pool, the Senior Center, and Woodward Community Park. The BMX track, golf course, and Big League Dreams Sports Parks are all operated through contracts.
“Most parks are within a 10-minute walk from your home,” says Brandy Clark, Recreation and Community Services Manager. For a complete list of fun events and competitions for children, adults, and seniors check out the Recreation Activity Guide.
Creating programs for children of all ages and abilities to play and compete is the job of the City of Manteca’s seven-member Recreation and Community Services Department. Team Manteca has created sports leagues and educational initiatives that foster positive development, promote healthy lifestyles, and provide safe environments for children and teens in the community.
The current sports program features NFL Flag Football. Over 260 kids participated this season, playing under the lights at Northgate Community Park. The community turned out in impressive numbers to watch the children play, which led the department to add a second season in the spring. Clark expressed excitement over the opportunity for all girls and boys to play together. “It’s cool and the kids have fun!” she exclaimed.
Basketball leagues will begin in January and the City is helping players prepare with basketball clinics and camps throughout the year. There are over 500 children signed up for the league this year. These clinics and camps are available during the summer and before the season.
“The clinics help prepare everyone to play,” Clark continues. “They provide children with more practice and one-on-one coaching time. This year there will be more basketball clinics and lots of youngsters are expected to participate.”
“Last year, over 500 children participated in the Jr. Giants program, which we organize in partnership with the San Francisco Giants baseball team during the summer,” Clark exclaimed.
The Recreation Department offers Tiny Tots sports programs for children aged 3-4 and 5-6; including basketball (twice a year), soccer (twice a year), flag football, and T-ball. The City also offers classes in baton twirling, art, dog obedience, tennis, Zumba, chess, and online Spanish classes.
The Department also offers Challenger Sports for participants with special needs; currently, we are offering kickball, basketball, and a division within the Jr. Giants program.
“For preschoolers, we have Art Exploration and Parent and Me. Additionally, in the youth area, we have Jr. Lifeguard Camps and Youth Summer Camps,” Clark continues.
Manteca offers various live entertainment events, including Movies in the Park and Music on Maple, both featuring live band performances, with food trucks on hand for refreshments.
Park-a-Palooza at Woodward Park is another popular event. Live bands perform and around 2,000 people attend. There is a Trunk or Treat event that involves 3,000 kids and 60 businesses and organizations.
“We just had Christmas at the Center, which included a tree-lighting ceremony, photo sessions with costumed characters, artificial snow, music, entertainment, and a visit from Santa Claus,” Clark continues. Approximately 1,500 people attended this event.
“With the changes in the community and their preferences, we work hard to maintain the level of service that our residents expect,” said Clark. “Our coordinators serve many residents. They also work on special events and with local independent contractors to give us a little more offering in leisure programming,” Clark added.
“Serving a population that is nearing 100,000 with a team of seven is not an easy task for us; nonetheless, we have created safe fun for all,” said Clark.
“We are looking for volunteers to coach and help children advance,” said Clark. ”If you are interested in volunteering, please call (209) 456-8600”.
About the City of Manteca
Manteca is a full-service City with police, fire, public works, water, trash and sewer services. For more information, call the City Manager’s office at (209) 456-8000, email: Feedback@manteca.gov, or go to Manteca.gov.
Incorporated in 1918, Manteca has a diverse population of 88,772. Manteca grew at 24.4% from 2010-2020 and continues to grow at an accelerated pace. The City has 28,454 households with a median home price of $500,017. The median annual household income is $118,814.