With ‘tremendous’ turnout, Hampden Rec program thrives

HAMPDEN – Hampden Recreation has been providing programs for the town for several years, and the number of programs offered continues to grow.

“We have programmed ourselves to the max,” said recreation director Kurt Mathies. New for kids this year is the youth volleyball program, which started this spring and will be held each year.

“Our turnout was tremendous,” Mathies said. There are two groups in the youth volleyball program: one for kids in grades three through eight, which boasts four teams of nine kids; and a volleyball clinic held on Saturdays for kindergartners through second-graders.

And a youngsters’ garden club will start this summer – free to participants.

Kids’ Korner, Hampden Recreation’s largest program, is run by youth program coordinator Jill McLaughlin of Hampden, and has been providing before- and after-school care for children in kindergarten through fifth grade since 1995. The program not only is successful, bit is self-sustaining and helps to support other programs Hampden Recreation offers, Mathies said. Currently 66 children are enrolled.The second-largest program offered, Kids’ Kamp, is open to first- through fifth-graders and runs for seven weeks during the summer. Each week has a different theme, Mathies said.

Every Thursday, participants take a trip – preferably related to the theme for the week. If the trip is not theme-related, the youngsters go to a beach such as Jenkins Beach, Sand Beach, Lake St. George, Peaks-Kenney or the waterslide in Trenton, Mathies said. The number who participate varies from week to week and is limited to 25, Mathies said. Traditional sports programs such as basketball, baseball and soccer also are offered. During the summer the locally run soccer camp is held for ages 4 through incoming ninth-graders. The program is staffed by local coaches, older high school kids and college students, and the emphasis is on fun, Mathies said. This year’s soccer camp will run from June 27 to July 1, and registration is taking place.

“That’s an excellent program,” Mathies said.

Other summer programs include track and field for ages 14 and under, for which Mathies serves as head coach. He also coaches the fishing program for the under-15 age group, describing that program as “another huge success.” The fishing program has been so popular that the number of participants had to be capped at 40, he said.

Hoops University, also known as Hoops U, was designed by Hampden Recreation’s assistant director, Shelley Abbott of Brewer. The program offers the chance for high school varsity and junior varsity boys and girls teams, under the supervision of basketball coaches, to teach skills to 4- to 6-year-olds. The program runs five Saturdays beginning in January. The final Saturday, all participants play a short game together.

For adults, there is adult volleyball throughout the school year and indoor soccer on Sundays during that time. And, a “very active” senior fitness class is offered 10-11 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, Mathies said.

Some 70 seniors are enrolled in the program, and on any given day 35 people participate in the class, he said. The class is instructed by Dana Tardif, physical therapist for Hampden Physical Therapy and Balance Center, a teacher Mathies described as “incredible.” Mathies said he has seen some older people who could barely move gain more mobility and flexibility, and have “more life to them” after participating in the class.

“We’re pretty proud of all of our programs,” Mathies said.

During each session – there are five throughout the year -Hampden Recreation tries to offer nonsport and nonteam programs such as art, horseback riding, karate, skiing and snowboarding, Mathies said.

Prior to 1997, Hampden Recreation staffers worked part time, and for the most part, only summer programs were offered. Beginning in 1997 the director’s position increased to part time, year round, and then full time in July 1998. The part-time assistant’s position became full time on Jan. 1, 2000 and the youth coordinator’s position became full time on Aug. 1, 2004. All three are paid positions.

And several part-time paid and volunteer staff – “too many to count” – help out with different programs throughout the year, Mathies said.

Mathies lives in Hampden with his wife and their two sons, and has worked for Hampden Recreation since November 1997. He studied physical education in college, but worked outside his field for awhile at Pilot’s Grill, where he made good money, he said. Then the opportunity to work as a staff member for Hampden Recreation’s Kids’ Korner came along and Mathies accepted – even though the pay was significantly less.

“I decided to take the gamble and I’m glad I did, because it actually paid off,” Mathies said.

Indeed. Within two weeks Mathies was the director of the Kids’ Korner program. In 2000 he accepted the position of assistant director for Hampden Recreation and, in 2002, became the director.

One of Mathies’ goals for the town of Hampden is for the town to be “a healthy place to live,” he said. Another goal is to have a recreation center, which the department is currently working toward.

For information on Hampden Recreation and any of its programs, call Kurt Mathies at 862-6451, stop by the office at 106 Western Ave. from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays, or visit the town Web site at www.hampdenmaine.com.