New programs planned for Darlington Recreation
By Samantha Lyles, Staff Writer, slyles@newsandpress.net
The Darlington County Parks and Recreation Department has several new programs planned to get kids and adults outside and having fun this spring and summer.
“We’re trying to get parents more involved, to let them know that this is their program and get the community more involved,” says athletics director Brantley Jett. “When I got here, pretty much everything was geared towards kids, but I want to get the whole city involved.”
Darlington County Parks & Recreation athletics director Brantley Jett aims to bring innovative and fun new programs to Darlington area families.
Jett joined Parks & Rec last November, and he has more than a decade of experience volunteering and coaching with recreation programs. It’s a family tradition for Brantley, who says his parents Samuel and Evelyn Jett worked with Darlington’s Little League Baseball for 30 years.
New programs under development include a USTA track program for ages 6 to 17, and a joint church/industrial softball league and a kickball league for adults.
“We’re going to have an interest meeting for kickball on April 20, and we’re looking to start up right after baseball season in June,” says Jett, who has already received inquiries from kickball teams in Florence and Hartsville about participating.
Churches and businesses interested in forming and sponsoring teams can contact Jett for more information.
Existing programs are also seeing expansion, like the popular rec basketball league (for ages 5 to 14) which now has end-of-season tournaments and draws guest teams from Marion, Florence, Latta, and Lake City. Jett says all totaled, Darlington’s rec basketball played over 220 games this past season.
Jett is working with coaches from Darlington High School to establish facility-sharing agreements so the track program, for instance, could hold meets at the DHS stadium. The goal, he says, is to get more kids involved with a variety of rec programs so they can hone their skills in their chosen sports and be ready to excel by the time they reach the middle school and high school level – a tried and true “feeder system” plan established in many powerhouse high school sports programs.
“I came up with this plan called ‘One Darlington,’ where we will try to bridge the gap between rec programs and high school, so we’ll be a direct reflection of everything the high school does,” says Jett.
Under this program, DHS coaches and Parks & Rec would offer athletics camps and clinics for all sports offered through the rec program, providing kids with expert instruction and giving them a leg up on learning key fundamentals.
“This way, when our kids move up, they’ll be learning the same systems and it will be a smooth transition for them,” says Jett.
To learn more about Darlington area programs offered through Darlington County Parks & Recreation, or to inquire about participation and sponsorship for the planned adult leagues, contact Brantley Jett at (843) 398-4030 or email bjett@darcosc.net.
Adult Basketball Registration
Darlington Recreation Department will hold registration for adult basketball through April 7. The cost is $350 per team. Teams must have their own jerseys. Register at Harmon Baldwin Center, 300 Sanders St. For more information, call Don Blakney at 843-393-9005 or 843-398-4030. No late registration.