Minding Your Business- Harwich Recreation

From local parks to local youth programming, the Harwich Recreation Department is the center of all things fun in town. Based out of the Harwich Community Center on Oak St., the rec department offers a wide variety of activities across all ages on a year-round basis, including open gym times with the goal of creating a fun and engaging place for kids and adults alike to try something new. Adult programs include pickleball play at both the 204 Cultural Center Municipal Building and Brooks Park, basketball leagues and volleyball. On the youth side, the rec offers critical after school care as well as a whole host of sports programming that is offered to kids of all ages this fall like gymnastics, flag football, field hockey and soccer. 

John Losey manages all of the sports programs at the rec as well as their social media and facility rentals, including bookings of the fields behind the community center, Brooks Park and Whitehouse Field. With a vast background in sports management and coaching, Losey has helped elevate the programming at the rec and bring new programs to the community.

“I think it is really important to keep kids active, and we offer youth sports programs at a very affordable price,” Losey said. “Most of our programs are $40, so if you sign your child up once per season and you sprinkle in one or two clinics, you could be all in for sports participation for around $250 to $300 for the whole year. When you’re at that young age, you’ve got to be getting outside and getting some movement. It is critical socially and emotionally for these kids.”

One of the most popular fall sports, the town soccer program, is already underway and off to a great start. Town soccer includes programming for tots as young as 3 and 4 years old, kindergarten through third and fourth-grade travel teams. 

“One of my favorite parts of the fall season is definitely our travel soccer program,” Losey said. “We have third and fourth grade boys and girls teams that get to play other towns so that is always really fun. It gets a little competitive while still being an introductory level for players. There’s a lot of team bonding that takes place over the course of the season. I am also trying to get food trucks out there on Saturdays since we’ll have field hockey and soccer going at the same time, so we will have a nice crowd out there on the weekend.”

Losey says football is one sport with lower participation in this area of the Cape, but he’s hoping this program will spark interest, especially by keeping it at a very introductory level for first and second graders. Players will be introduced to the rules of the game, how to run routes, throw, play defense, and understand different plays and formations. The first half of each practice will focus on learning new skills, followed by games during the final 20 minutes.

“We have a new intro to flag football program which I am really excited about. That’s the sport I coached back home in Florida,” he said.

Field hockey is a new area Losey has been growing with the help of Monomoy Junior Varsity Coach Leah Mercurio. A very well-attended youth camp wrapped up at the end of June, and new for this fall is a field hockey league for kids in grades kindergarten through seventh led by Mercurio and JV players. Players will learn the fundamentals of the game while also competing in a fun and friendly environment. 

“I am very excited to see the players start to gain more confidence in games and grow as teammates,” Mercurio said. “The league will be super fun and engaging for these young athletes!”

“When you’re first starting out in youth sports a lot of kids just need some easy victories,” Losey noted. “We like to get their self confidence up when they’re trying something new!”

Once fall wraps up right around Halloween, the winter programs start back up mid-November with basketball, indoor soccer, pickleball and more at the 204 Cultural Center on Sisson Road. Be on the lookout on social media and the town website for registration and information.

Harwich Recreation

100 Oak St., Harwich

harwichma.myrec.com/info/default.aspx

508-430-7553