Growing Goodyear
Growing Goodyear
Summer is Cool in Goodyear!
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From the aquatics center to the teen room, hear why the Goodyear Recreation Campus is the coolest place to be this summer. Plus, learn about all of the different ways to experience and enjoy this year's Star Spangled Fourth spectacular.
Coming up on this episode of Growing Goodyear.
Mike Beadle:The hottest spot in Goodyear right now is at the Goodyear recreation campus, we have people playing basketball, we have people up in our fitness area, and then we have people at the pool. So it's not like everybody's there for one thing, because we offer a variety of different services, people are utilizing all different things. So there's not these large lines, there's not these big waits on equipment, just because we do offer so much.
Tammy Vo:Welcome, everyone, to the latest episode of Growing Goodyear. I'm Tammy Vo from the city of Goodyear.
Jordan Byrd:And I'm Jordan Byrd.
Tammy Vo:Jordan, it is that time of year I know that all of us look forward to I know it gets warm. And it can be a little hard for families to think about, like, what am I going to do this summer, but it's also so exciting. It's the time of year when school's out and parents are thinking, hey, what do I do with my kids? There's actually a lot of options in Goodyear.
Jordan Byrd:It's not just about what to do with your kids, it's about safe places that you can take your kids, it's about creativity in the type of activities that your children can do. Because I mean, I know a lot of times now it's tough where these kids are cooped up in the house because it's too hot outside. And you don't want them to just play video games all day all summer long. So it really is an awesome feature for the city of Goodyear to have a place like the Goodyear recreation campus, where not only is it a safe location, but there are a plethora of different activities and things that kids and families of all ages can really enjoy.
Tammy Vo:And I think if we all just take a moment to think back to our childhood, what's that one memory of a place or a time that you can recall the summer that that you really enjoy Jordan, what do you have one?
Jordan Byrd:Well I think this probably shows my age a little bit. But it was like grabbing the neighborhood kids in going out to the middle of the woods and playing out and like the woods. And now as a parent thinking back on what I did as a child, it terrifies me. But I think it was just a simpler time a simpler situation now where I just remember being outside from the moment I woke up to it was dark. Now granted, I didn't grow up in the Phoenix area. So it wasn't 115 degrees outside. But that's what I remember as being outside and almost having like adventures as a child.
Tammy Vo:And I remember Jordan when I was a kid, the smell of walking into our local sort of rec center. When you walk down this path, I remember the distinct smell of chlorine from the pool. I know that smell, it just brings whenever I smell that same scent now it just brings back so many memories of what it was like to be a kid in the summertime just having fun and enjoying. And I think when you talk about spending time outside doing things, for me as a parent, now it's kind of that reminder of like, I gotta get my kids off their tablets and their devices and really get them out in the elements enjoying and just being a kid and letting loose and now that school is out. That's what we really want to help families and good year experience. You know, it's warm outside, there's a lot of options out there, not just the swimming pool. There's also indoor options that that has, you know, really a safe and secure place for you to bring your kids
Jordan Byrd:Yeah. And so to that point on this episode of Growing Goodyear, we're going to talk to Goodyear recreation superintendent Mike Beadle, and what the Goodyear recreation campus has to offer people of all ages, and how that can benefit our residents.
Tammy Vo:There's also a lot of events going on this summer for you and your family. We're going to talk with the city's festival and events coordinator, Natalie Cassidy about what those are. But first, it is time for our Fast Five with Mike Beadle.
Jordan Byrd:You're going on a trip? Would you rather go to the mountains or the beach?
Mike Beadle:Whoo, I'm gonna have to say go to the mountains. I like the solace of nature. So I'm gonna go mountains away from everyone.
Tammy Vo:What is the best piece of advice that you've ever received?
Mike Beadle:It goes back to my favorite quote, whether you believe you can or you cannot. You're right.
Jordan Byrd:You can only eat one food again for the rest of your life. What is it?
Mike Beadle:Pizza.
Tammy Vo:You have been a contestant on American Ninja Warrior several times. Which obstacle is been the hardest for you?
Mike Beadle:So I'm gonna say probably the one that took me out in season 13. So there's an obstacle called Fly hooks at the end of stage one. And so that's what ended my season in season 13.
Jordan Byrd:What is your favorite part or amenity of the Goodyear recreation campus?
Mike Beadle:I'm gonna have to say the aquatic facility. You know, I think it brings the community together. It's much needed, especially when we have seven, eight months of warm temperatures. It's a great way to come together, meet friends hang out. My family uses it all throughout the summer. They participate in swim team. They've done swim lessons through Goodyear. So it's had a large impact on my life and I think it also has the largest impact on the community.
Jordan Byrd:We're talking with Goodyear recreation superintendent Mike Beadle, Mike, thank you so much for joining us on the Growing Goodyear podcast and I have to imagine at the Goodyear recreation campus, this is a busy time of the year. Kids are now out of school parents are looking for something for those kids to do. Is this the height of the Goodyear recreation campus attendance right now during the summer months?
Mike Beadle:Absolutely. The hottest spot in Goodyear right now is that the Goodyear recreation campus during the summer months, we hit about 2000 residents per day through our facility, a lot of those are attending our aquatics facility. But really the GRC has something for everybody, all ages, all abilities. And that's really what draws people in, especially with the warmer weather where there's not as many people in the park there's not as many people outside, they're flooding to the Rec Center and they're flooding to aquatics.
Tammy Vo:And speaking of aquatics, Mike, I think one of my favorite places at the GRC is your aquatic center. It's awesome if you haven't been out there, but talk to us about what are some of the things that kids can look forward to doing there this summer?
Mike Beadle:Yeah, the aquatic facility really has something for everyone. You know, for the little kids, we have a beach entry where kids can go down a smaller slide, or they can have a dumping bucket dump on their head, or they can play with a few of the water features, our parents can sit in the beach entry and watch their kids and keep a close eye. And then as they get a little bit older, a little more adventurous, they can go on our bigger slides, or they can jump off the diving boards, or they can float Lazy River, there's really something for everybody. And really, if you're not into swimming, and you just want to enjoy the sunshine outside, we have cabanas, we have chairs outside deck chairs outside that they can sit in and get a nice tan.
Jordan Byrd:I think that's the thing that strikes me about the Goodyear Aquatic Center is that when you look at it, if you may just be driving by it looks like a miniature waterpark, I mean, colorful displays and slides and things that really attract the eye and especially for kids younger kids as well, that really just kind of draws them in and brings them into that experience. Now that you guys have had a little bit of time for residents to get acclimated to the aquatic center and get to know the Aquatic Center, what are some of the specific things that you have noticed that residents really respond to?
Mike Beadle:You know, I think the slides are the big feature piece, you can see it from the street, you can see it from the road, kids are lining up up the stairs, just to have a chance to go down the slide, we have a timer on the slide so you can go down and race your friends. And you can get multiple different experiences going on either of our side, we have a closed slide where we have LED lights on the inside. So as you're coming down at you get a cool light show as you're coming down the slide. And then we have kind of the open slide where it's a little bit more of a traditional waterslide where you can see out the top and you have a lot of twists and turns toward the bottom.
Jordan Byrd:So a lot of people might associate the Aquatic Center with just fun, killin time. But you even mentioned that there that your own family has had swim lessons that are at the aquatic center that are at the Rec campus. What are some of those options for people who may be looking to teach their children to swim at the Aquatic Center?
Mike Beadle:Yeah, we have a number of different programs outside of just open swim. Open swim is great for families to come in and utilize. But really, our core philosophy is teaching the residents of Goodyear how to swim, there's swimming pools, all throughout our city and backyards and apartment complexes. And we really want everyone to be equipped to know how to be safe around water. And that's really one of our core values for the facility. And so for us, we offer a plethora of swim lessons for all ages, all the way starting from parent taught classes all the way to adult classes. So there are some adults in our community that don't know how to swim. And it's a great opportunity. We offer lessons in small group formats really private. So it's not the same times as our kid lessons. It's a really good opportunity where if you're a little bit timid around the pool to come in and learn a lifelong skill for our kids classes. We offer classes again, all the way level one all the way through level five. So whether you're preparing to be on swim team, or if you're just learning how to swim and just want to get comfortable around the water, we have really something for everyone.
Tammy Vo:And it's not just about the Aquatic Center. Of course, there's so many other things to do at the GRC tell us about that other ways to cool off and get indoors.
Mike Beadle:Yeah, absolutely. If the pool isn't your thing, we have a ton of different activities you can utilize at the GRC under roof. One of the biggest draws for the facility is our team room. We have gaming PCs, we have PlayStation fives, we have Xbox series, we run a lot of different programming for our teens as well. So we'll do Madden tournaments, we'll do NBA 2k tournaments, really just creating a safe and healthy environment for our teens to go cool off during the summer, make friends and have fun. Once they exit the teen center. We really want to keep our teens active and engaged outside of the teen center. So we also have our full court gymnasium, which is really probably our most popular amenity in the facility. Any day anytime. While the facility is open, you're going to find a number of activities happening in the gym, whether it's pickleball or volleyball or basketball or dodgeball. There is something really for everyone in every interest in the facility to keep kids active and engaged this summer.
Jordan Byrd:Going back to that team room. That sounds like a dream of any you know, teenager preteen out there. And it's my understanding that you do not have to be a member at the Rec campus for teens to enjoy that team room. Correct?
Mike Beadle:Yep, absolutely all you have to be as a resident of Goodyear, there's no fee to utilize that space. So you can come in, you just have to sign a waiver and it's a supervised environment by one of our staffing come in and enjoy the games and have fun.
Tammy Vo:Speaking of passes tell us about when do you need a pass and where to in the rec center.
Mike Beadle:One thing I will note is they are for residents only at this point, but our passes once you reach beyond the lobby and beyond the teen area, if you're looking to utilize the gymnasium or you're looking to utilize aquatics or our fitness area are one of our other activity spaces, you do need a pass to enter we have a number of different options from day passes to month passes to annual passes. So really a variety to fit any need. So if you're just here for the summer, you want to come enjoy the pool just for the summer, we have a one month pass or even a quarterly pass where you're not paying for a full year if you're not going to utilize it. But if you're a hardcore GRC go are you really want to come every day, the annual pass really is something that you want to look at, because that's the best discount for you for residents.
Jordan Byrd:So much of what we've already discussed is kind of open to the individual, you know, the aquatic center that's, you know, open swim or the teen room. What about classes, or even programs or camps that you guys offer? For those parents right now that might be thinking, Man, the kids are out of school now. I need them out of the house. There might be some options at the Rec campus for me.
Mike Beadle:Sure, yeah, we offer a swim team program again in our aquatic center. And then we also have a number of other activities. We do teen trips, we have fitness and wellness orientation classes. And then for the parents, we actually offer a variety of fitness classes upstairs. And so if parents want to come in, bring their kids into play basketball and they want to check out a fitness classes. It's all included in a day pass or membership at the facility.
Tammy Vo:What about parties? I mean, I know speaking from my perspective, I'm always thinking hey, where can I bring my kids for a birthday party or something fun like that? What do you guys offer in terms of hosting parties?
Mike Beadle:The GRC again, is a hotspot for parties as well. Our aquatics facility, we have four rentable cabanas, and so families can bring birthday parties, they can bring all different types of events to the pool without having this huge cost of renting out the entire pool. They can come in and have their birthday cake, blow out the candles and have their kids play in the pool and have that kind of a designated space for that without again incurring a large cost to rent out the whole pool. We also have a lot of multipurpose spaces within the facility that families can rent. And so we have a large multipurpose room with a really nice private outdoor patio. And we've seen everything from quinceaneras to weddings in that space. It's a really dynamic space that residents really love.
Jordan Byrd:That's great to have a type of option like that that can cover really any occasion. Any event that's right there and right here in the city of Goodyear.
Mike Beadle:Absolutely yes, it's a great amenity to have residents love it to death. I will say it's an extremely popular so if you are interested in renting out a space like that, definitely get in early and get your reservation. And because we do book out pretty far.
Jordan Byrd:You said something earlier about here in the summer months, you average about 2000 people through the doors. How does that compare to the winter months or the offseason?
Mike Beadle:Yeah, so in our offseason, we average about 1000 people a day. Through the facility, once the Aquatics Center opens up really, towards the end of May we end up averaging about 2000 people per day. To give you some context at general busy rec center in the valley has about 700 a day. So we're a very busy facility. But the nice thing is, again, we have a variety of activities, so it doesn't feel really congested. We have people playing basketball, we have people up in our fitness area, and then we have people at the pool. So it's not like everybody's there for one thing because we offer a variety of different services. People are utilizing all different things. So there's not these large lines. There's not these big waits on equipment, just because we do offer so much.
Tammy Vo:And the space is really huge. I mean people have room to spread out.
Mike Beadle:Yeah, absolutely. The facility itself is 49,000 square feet, the Aquatics facility, we really have three different major amenities, we have our lap pool, we have our play pool, Lazy River and slide and so again, you can spread out you don't feel like you're right on top of another group or another family, you can really find some space for yourself and utilize a great facility.
Jordan Byrd:Let's talk a little bit beyond children, kids and what the rec campus has to offer to them. I know what you mentioned a little bit briefly about some of the classes, the fitness classes that you offer for adults. What specifically are those fitness classes options for people out there?
Mike Beadle:Yeah, so the great thing is, again, as I mentioned any of our passes, group fitness is included. So there's no extra fee to come in and take a class. So if you want to try out a class for the first time, or you want to take a series of classes, there's no extra cost to do so. And so we offer a huge portfolio of group fitness. We are at Les Mills fitness facility. So one of the feature classes we offer is called Body Pump. It's probably the most popular class that Les Mills offers. But we also offer a lot of traditional group fit classes like yoga and Zumba and Pilates. We offer classes for seniors like silver and fit. So really any age any ability you can come in if you're just a entry level fitness user and try out one of our classes or if you're more advanced and are looking for something to challenge you. We have a range of classes that's really fits anybody's needs.
Jordan Byrd:When is that Mike Beadle American Ninja Warrior class gonna get started at GRC?
Mike Beadle:That's more for the advanced users. So we're gonna save that and save that for a later date.
Tammy Vo:So tell us where can people go if they have not been to the Rec Center. Yeah, what's the next step?
Mike Beadle:So if you've never been to the Rec Center, again, make sure you're resident all you do is stop by the front desk. We can give you a tour of the facility. Any of our friendly staff can show you all of our amenities. Talk to you about our programs and classes or you can visit our website at GRC dot Goodyear az.gov.
Tammy Vo:By the way, are you guys hiring?
Mike Beadle:We are always hiring. We're always looking for great part time staff to work inside of the desk to work in our fitness area. We're always on the lookout for great lifeguards as well. So if you have kids or you're looking for yourself to have a fun summer job, we are absolutely hiring.
Tammy Vo:Mike, thanks so much for being with us. And we're excited to get out to the rec center this summer.
Mike Beadle:Absolutely. We can't wait to see you all out there.
Jordan Byrd:So as you heard from Mike Beadle, there is a lot of offerings that the Goodyear recreation campus has to offer this summer that can keep kids and adults active. But that's not the only thing that's happening in Goodyear this summer. Some of our signature events, some of our biggest signature events are right around the corner. We now welcome Goodyear festival and events coordinator, Natalie Cassidy to the podcast. So this is an exciting time in the city of Goodyear right now, as the summer months go on, that's getting into some more of the city events and one of the signature events that takes place here in Goodyear. So what's happening on Fourth of July?
Natalie Cassidy:Yes, our star spangled fourth event is going to be on the Fourth of July at the Goodyear ballpark. New this year, we have shifted the location of our fireworks launch zone. And because of that, we now get to activate the Goodyear recreation campus as an event overflow for the day. So you can either join us at the ballpark or you if you want to beat the crowd and have your own picnic at the Rec Center, you are more than welcome to do that. And there is a clear view of the fireworks from there.
Jordan Byrd:Oh, so that's great. So now there's two options for viewing experiences for people for the Star Spangled fourth?
Natalie Cassidy:Definitely. So we will have our traditional event at the ballpark with our inflatables. And we'll have lucky devils band this year playing a variety of music, there's something for everybody. And then we'll have a few food trucks and arts and crafts activities and giveaways at the ballpark. But also at the recreation campus, we will have some food trucks and a few giveaways as well. So a couple different options for our ever growing city.
Jordan Byrd:And I think that's one of the things that some people who may be new to Goodyear or having attended a star spangled fourth in the past may think it's a firework show, but there really is a lot more activity, a lot more things for the family and every one to do, really even before the firework show begins.
Natalie Cassidy:That's correct. The fireworks don't kick off till 9pm. But the event itself goes from 6pm to 10pm. So as you can imagine, we fill those hours with lots of things to do. And lots of fun for families, adults, everybody overall.
Jordan Byrd:Now you mentioned inflatables for people out there that may be looking to get out there a little bit early stake their claim for a good seat with the firework show. But then also we're looking to fill that time before the show starts beyond inflatables, what kinds of things can they expect out at Goodyear ballpark?
Natalie Cassidy:Yeah, so we'll have a few giveaways. We'll have a few photo options. And so you know, you really can come on down, do some arts and crafts, get some giveaways, take some photos with your family, because we're really just trying to capture what the American spirit is, and for the inflatables themselves will have not only dry inflatables, like how we have at other events, but we'll have wet inflatables, too, so feel free to come in your swimsuits, and have lots of fun.
Jordan Byrd:Now, for people in Goodyear, this obviously has been a reoccurring thing. But in terms of the West Valley, have you guys noticed and previous events, or maybe even looking forward to this year's event that you're getting people from outside of Goodyear attending the star spangled fourth?
Natalie Cassidy:Definitely what kind of sets our city apart from other cities and other events that are happening is we stay true to hosting these events on their actual dates. So a lot of other events are happening on the weekend before Fourth of July with it being on a Tuesday this year. But we will always do it on the day of so even if you are enjoying activities over the weekend with your family somewhere else, you know that you are still able to stay home and in your community on the actual Fourth of July and still have a fantastic time.
Jordan Byrd:For you guys in the parks and rec department. What is the process like of hosting an event like star spangled fourth, I mean, I have to imagine it is months of planning before the event actually even comes to fruition.
Natalie Cassidy:Actually pretty much almost a year in advance that we start planning for an event like the Star Spangled fourth, it's one of our biggest events. And with so many new aspects, not only just safety, but just innovation, we start making these plans and getting with police with traffic control plans and exploring our options because we see that there are more people coming to our events, and we need to accommodate for everybody and make sure that we have a very, very good and fun experience for all.
Jordan Byrd:So with this being one of the signature events in Goodyear and one of the more well attended events that the city puts on what's kind of the perfect time for people who might be listening this who are interested in attending, what's the perfect time to head on out for the Star Spangled fourth?
Natalie Cassidy:Yes, like I mentioned, this event is one of our more well attended events. So we recommend the earlier the better. It's for that reason that we do have extra activities and activations beforehand to keep you busy. Before the firework show, if you want to come and claim your best spot, either on the grass itself on the baseball field, or within the stands, the earlier that you were able to come the better.
Jordan Byrd:And so those are the two seating options at the ballpark, you can be on the field where the big league players are at during spring training, or you can be in the stands as well?
Natalie Cassidy:That's correct, you can be on the field front and center with the fireworks and with the band as well, the band will be on the field and center field, we have all the stadium seating, so you're more than welcome to sit there enjoy some food that you got from the food truck or a good old adult beverage. And, or you're more than welcome to stand on the around the concourse level as well. And I mean, we've tested our fireworks, and we've had multiple people standing around in different locations. And I gotta tell you, there weren't many bad spots to view. So that's always a good thing.
Jordan Byrd:Well, and it's also just such a unique situation to have those two separate locations, the Goodyear rec campus and the Goodyear ballpark. So you can really kind of tailor your your experience for this event, based off of what you're looking to get out of it.
Natalie Cassidy:Definitely whatever best fits the needs of you and your family. And you're just gonna be guaranteed to have a fun time, wherever you're at.
Jordan Byrd:Now a couple of other things that are coming up here in the city of Goodyear in June and July is the Goodyear night market. Now I know that you guys have recently begun a farmers market here at Goodyear Civic Square. But as the summer months, we get into those now and the heat continues to climb. You guys have moved the farmer's market to now a nighttime event, right?
Natalie Cassidy:That's correct, we have been overwhelmed with the positive response that we've gotten from starting this farmers market. So much so that we have extended it throughout the summer and have you know, activated the nighttime market. So the night market, the next one that we have is going to be June 25 And July 30. And those will be from 5pm to 9pm. Right here in our beautiful Civic Square.
Jordan Byrd:And what kind of vendors may someone find at the Goodyear Night Market?
Natalie Cassidy:Oh, there are so many vendors from produce to florals to food, honey, everything that you can think of as well as handmade crafts, handmade jewelry. There's everything under the sun, there'll be food trucks there as well. And then live entertainment always with these markets as well.
Jordan Byrd:Oh, that sounds like a great time and a lot of different options coming up here in the next month for people to enjoy Goodyear outside, while still not getting overly barren by the heat and having these nighttime events. Natalie, thank you so much for taking the time and joining us and we look forward to these events and what else you guys have planned the rest of the year,
Natalie Cassidy:We are so excited to be hosting these events for the community. And we hope that everybody comes out. And if you see me say hi.
Jordan Byrd:Well, Tammy, I think one of the cool things that we've learned from this episode of the Growing Goodyear podcast is that when it comes to the Goodyear recreation campus, or when it comes to signature events in the city, things are always evolving, like the Star Spangled fourth this year, a secondary location, a new fireworks staging area, so So really, this year, it's going to be different than any other year before. So for people who have already been to the Star Spangled fourth, or people who've been to the GRC, know that things are always evolving. And you're always going to get a different and new experience.
Tammy Vo:And I think that goes along with this theme, Jordan of the city of Goodyear growing so quickly. I mean, every year, we have so many new residents that move here. And it is the goal of our city leadership and our city council to continue to find ways to provide these awesome experiences for the people who are moving to our city to experience. So I mean, I would look to that continuing to be a focus and a priority as the years go by.
Jordan Byrd:And it's hard to believe that the star spangled fourth is going to be even bigger. But I mean, as you mentioned with our population growth, and the fact that something that Natalie pointed out with it being actually on Fourth of July, that's something that other cities may not be doing. They may be holding it on the weekend before so we're probably going to be grabbing people from other neighboring West Valley communities as well. And that really is just a testament to the job that Goodyear throughout the staffing does.
Tammy Vo:So we hope you're as excited for this summer as we are and if you're not headed on the road, west to San Diego like I will be in a few weeks here and you're looking for something to do locally with your family. There's so many options to look ahead to so as you move through the summer, enjoy it. Be safe and remember it is a great time to be in Goodyear.
Close:That concludes this episode of Growing Goodyear. Make sure to leave us a review and subscribe on your favorite streaming or podcast player app. If you have any questions or comments email us at communications at Goodyear AZ dot gov and don't forget to follow us on the city of Goodyear's social media pages.