Lee County recreation programs offer life lessons

LEESBURG, Ga. — Eddie Dixon and Jeremy Morey have played sports at a higher level than most.

Dixon, a Leesburg native who signed with Major League Baseball’s Montreal Expos after two years at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, played professionally for 11 seasons and served as a scout for three years.

Morey, who was born in Albany but moved to Leesburg while in middle school, played college ball at Darton and Georgia Southwestern.

Now as director and program coordinator, respectively, with Lee County Parks and Recreation, Dixon and Morey have different objectives than those that once drove them.

“We encourage kids to participate in sports, and we want them to have the same love for (athletics) that we had,” Dixon said. “But more than that we want them to learn to work to reach achievable goals. More than success in sports, we want the kids in our programs to learn things that can help them be a success in life.”

And the achievable goals, Morey says, don’t always mean winning games and collecting trophies.

“Kids can learn important lessons in sports,” he said. “They need to understand that the older they get, the less likely it is they’ll continue in their chosen sport. Once you get to the college level, there are fewer and fewer opportunities, and beyond that to professional sports, the numbers are really small.

“We’re pushing for the things that will help our kids in life. If one of our football teams hasn’t scored a touchdown all year, getting that first score will mean as much as winning the championship. We want these kids to understand that along with their successes, they also need to learn to lose.”

Dixon, who is in his eighth year with the Lee Parks and Rec program, Morey, who is in his fourth, Billy McCalvin and Jason Skinner are the four full-time — and usually overworked — members of the recreation staff. Together they maintain the county’s various facilities while organizing youth football, basketball, girls fast-pitch softball, cheerleading and men’s softball leagues.

More than a thousand participants take part in the programs that run year-round. And the numbers are steadily growing.

“When people move into a community, the first thing they ask about is the school system,” Dixon said. “The next thing is usually recreation opportunities, especially if they have kids.”

Compared to 2008, the year with the previous most participants, Lee Parks and Rec’s numbers in 2010 show impressive growth:

— Football: 464, up from 428

— Girls softball: 220, up from 175

— Basketball: 125, up from 120

“It keeps us jumping,” Morey said. “We have a very small window to get each program in before the next one starts.”

One thing Lee County participants have come to count on is that facilities, which are scattered over most of the county, will be in top shape. Dixon, who played with baseball’s Montreal, Pittsburgh, Houston, San Diego and Cincinnati organizations before scouting for the Padres for three years and serving as general manager of the Albany Alligators semi-pro team for three more, insists on facilities being in top shape.

“That’s a big thing with me,” he said. “Just because some of the facilities may be a little older, that doesn’t mean our kids have to play on older surfaces. We’re proud that we have some of the best in the state.”

Dixon and Morey are cautiously optimistic that talk of a special tax-funded recreation complex is being bantered about by Lee County Commissioners.

“I am a strong proponent of recreation in our county,” Lee Commission Chairman Ed Duffy said. “I’m a firm believer that keeping our youths involved in sports and other activities builds character.

“I’m really impressed with the job our parks and recreation folks have done. They do an excellent job with their programs and with maintaining the facilities, and they do it all within their budget.”

And while Dixon sings the praises of the commission’s support of his department, he doesn’t mind admitting that a centralized sports complex would be a huge plus for his staff.

“We’ve got four guys going all over the county, and every time we go from one place to the next we have to load up and move the equipment,” he said. “Plus, we always have at least two of us on hand while our activities are going on.

“If we had a wish list, I guess No. 1 would be for more staff. We’re limited right now with what we can do. But if we had a centralized complex with multipurpose facilities, it would make our job easier and make it easier for us to monitor activities. Plus, the public would have more access to us.”

But the Lee Parks and Recreation folks understand the concept of doing more with less and looking for successes that others often miss.

“There are some things we’d like to do, like getting business-sponsored scholarships for kids who can’t afford the activity fees,” Morey said. “It’s just tough to do some of these things with a limited staff. But one thing I’m proud of is that we never turn a kid away. We want them in our programs.”

Where else are many of them going to learn the life lessons that are so vital to Dixon, Morey and their staff?

“We share a passion for the kids in our programs, a passion for giving back to the community,” Dixon said. “Some of the things we’ve experienced in our careers are things we can share with the kids. And that’s what makes what we’re doing really important.

“In our community, you’re going to find the largest number of people at church or at Wal-Mart. But three nights a week, the bulk of our community is going to be involved in our programs. That’s a huge responsibility.”