Overton County Executive Steven Barlow said Rickman needs a larger recreation center and community center.
Barlow said Rickman is a growing community and is in need of activities for kids. Barlow said the Junior-Pro Basketball league went away because they don’t have a place to play since they cannot play at the schools.
“We don’t have a place for them to go,” Barlow said. “We have the city ballpark that does baseball, but you know, as far as other leagues, we don’t have.”
Barlow said the community center will have to be rebuilt due to excessive mold. Barlow said rebuilding the community center and turning the recreation center into a sports complex would likely fill the void.
“They want more baseball fields, football fields, and [indoor] basketball courts,” Barlow said. “Of course, with the football fields, you will have soccer, and other things can be played on the football field as well. So it gives you a lot of advantages around.”
Barlow said a sports complex could attract travel ball leagues. Barlow said travel ball would be a way to increase tourism to the county.
“That’s outside money that is changing hands, that it’s just more tax dollars that goes towards our schools and our general fund, and our trash,” Barlow said. “You know, that’s less taxes that we have to pay for as citizens. But the main thing about tourism is getting the tourism here.”
Barlow said grants could really help speed up improvements to the Rickman Recreation and Community Center. Barlow said the county would like to help more, but unfortunately, there are barriers.
“The county side cannot team up with a non-profit organization to do grants and that nature for Parks and Rec, but the city can,” Barlow said. “It doesn’t make sense sometimes, but metropolitan areas can do a lot more than the rural county areas.”
Barlow said as of now, all the county can do is donate a portion of the funds set aside each year for non-profits. Overton County recently donated an estimated $5,000 to the Rickman Recreation Center to finish improvements to the ball field and start rebuilding the community center.
