September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 55

Cal Ripken Jr. was the last player to bat in
Baltimore's Memorial Stadium on Oct. 6, 1991.

it's critical to provide opportunities and safe spaces for
at-risk youth, the importance of letting kids be kids and
why he's excited about the NRPA Annual Conference.
Parks & Recreation: Let's talk first about your
childhood. With your father being a professional
baseball player, how was physical fitness and a
healthy, active lifestyle viewed in your family?
Cal Ripken Jr.: Being physical and outdoors a great deal
was stressed by my mom and dad. We all played sports
as kids, but we were never pushed into baseball as some
might think. We just loved it. Once our parents saw
that we loved it, they helped and encouraged us - but
never drove us - and that helped us discover our love
for the game that much more.
P&R: The Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation was founded
to honor your father, and its mission is to prepare
at-risk youth for life's challenges by teaching them
critical life skills, such as teamwork. Why do you
believe there's such a need to connect with these
kids and provide opportunities for them?
Ripken Jr.: When we started the foundation, we had
no idea that it would grow to the size that it has and
help so many kids across the country. When you travel
around, you realize quickly that many kids don't have
the advantage of a solid family structure the way we
did. Through programs like Badges for Baseball and
others, we try to show kids that they do have support
systems and there are organizations out there to help
them. As we were conducting programs in cities across
the country, we also noticed a lack of good places for
kids to play and be kids - safe places. That's when
we started building Youth Development Parks, which
are multipurpose turf fields that provide kids with safe
places to play and learn and just be kids. We are now
closing in on 100 of these parks, and they are really
making an impact.
P&R: With the foundation's Youth Development
Parks, you all are working with communities to
build safe places, like sports fields, for at-risk
youth. How important is it for at-risk youth to have
a safe place to go?
Ripken Jr.: It's vitally important, and we didn't fully
understand that when we started the foundation. We
W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 9 |

Parks & Recreation

53



September 2019 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of September 2019 - Parks & Recreation

September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 1
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 2
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 3
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 4
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 5
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 6
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 7
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 8
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 9
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 10
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 11
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 12
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 13
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 14
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 15
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 16
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 17
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 18
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 19
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 20
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 21
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 22
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 23
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 24
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 25
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 26
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 27
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 28
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 29
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 30
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 31
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 32
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 33
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 34
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 35
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 36
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 37
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 38
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 39
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 40
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 41
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 42
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 43
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 44
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 45
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 46
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 47
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 48
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 49
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 50
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 51
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 52
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 53
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 54
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 55
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 56
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 57
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 58
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 59
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 60
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 61
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 62
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 63
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 64
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 65
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 66
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 67
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 68
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 69
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 70
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 71
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 72
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 73
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 74
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 75
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 76
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 77
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 78
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 79
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 80
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 81
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 82
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 83
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 84
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 85
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 86
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 87
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 88
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 89
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 90
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 91
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 92
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 93
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 94
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 95
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 96
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 97
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 98
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 99
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 100
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 101
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 102
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 103
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 104
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 105
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 106
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 107
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 108
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 109
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 110
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 111
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 112
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 113
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 114
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 115
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 116
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 117
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 118
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 119
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 120
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 121
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 122
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 123
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 124
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 125
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 126
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 127
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 128
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 129
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 130
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 131
September 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 132
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2009
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2009
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com