Stark County offers a variety of recreation venues including a countywide park district, public and private gyms, recreation centers and many community and senior centers. In 2008, approximately 40 percent of Stark Poll respondents stated they currently used a recreational facility. Roughly one third of respondents stated that they use a fitness center such as the YMCA or the Massillon Recreation Center. Approximately 10 percent indicated they use the parks, trails and walking paths.
Recreation centers have seen an increase in utilization across the board, especially in the youth demographic. With the decline in the economy, more families are looking for local entertainment and recreational opportunities. While there has been an increase in utilization there has been a corresponding increase in requests for financial aid. Rates of usage differ by geographical location and demographic characteristics with income being the most important.
There is still concern regarding access to recreational opportunities for the youth of Canton. Recreational center income has been decreasing while expenses are increasing. For example, the minimum wage has risen; electricity costs have increased by approximately 12 percent; and healthcare for employees has risen by approximately 20 percent. The recent closings of the Downtown Canton YMCA, the Jewish Community Center (JCC) and the Northeast Community Center have limited formal recreational opportunities for Canton youth. Despite attempts to keep programming in place, the question has become for many in the Canton area; is it better to renovate, rebuild or consolidate? The efforts to reduce costs by combining facilities as recommended by the 2005 Canton Recreational Study have not resulted in the recommended consolidations.
Increasing rates of obesity have an impact on health and health care costs which make the ability to provide recreation and recreation programming critical. Communities and organizations in Stark County have begun to sponsor health related recreational activities. However, it is often the case that recreational opportunities are limited to competitive sports. In a community that places such high importance on highly completive sports, such as football, many children can be left without opportunities at ages as young as 9 or 10.
In part as a response to competition in recreational activities, and the issues stated above in the traditional recreational centers in Stark County, there are the beginnings of opportunities for recreation in alternative venues, such as faith based organizations and inter-school collaborations. There is ongoing discussion in the community about whether neighborhood based or centrally located recreational opportunities would best serve the community.
