On Thursday, Feb. 7, Cordova Recreation & Park District (CRPD) hosted hundreds of community members in the Mather Sports Center gymnasium to unveil a completely refinished, Sacramento Kings-branded gymnasium floor sponsored by the Sacramento Kings, Kaiser Permanente, the Good Tidings Foundation and Sacramento County. As part of the celebration, community members were invited to be a part of the ribbon-cutting and 100 local youth attended the free Jr. Kings basketball clinic hosted by the Sacramento Kings, Jr. Kings organization.
One of CRPD’s three main community centers, Mather Sports Complex was built in 1967 but not deeded to the District until 1994. Located at the front door of a major transportation corridor (Highway 50) and the entrance to a main commerce center, Mather Sports Complex has been an easily accessible location for the past 52 years. However, it was not until CRPD’s forward-thinking Board of Directors and management team took over and saw potential in the complex, investing in additions like the Skate Park and synthetic turf fields, that made Mather Sports Complex the regional sports destination it is today. Now, as of February 2019, the Mather Sports Center has received all new lighting courtesy of SMUD, exterior and interior work, including painting, the refinished floor, bleacher upgrades and new basketball hoops.
Sacramento County Board of Supervisors’, Don Nottoli (District 5) played an instrumental role in bringing this project to life. “Mather Sports Complex was an ideal choice for the Kings’ first indoor court for many reasons, but mainly because it is a great host of working, living, playing and learning for our community. Our partnership with CRPD made it not only ideal, but a natural choice since they are the main provider of services and a wealth of resources for our community. Plus, the building has meaningful history as a military base property for the community and there is endless opportunity for future improvements,” Nottoli said.
With 20 years of service in this community, Nottoli says he was inspired by the people he serves. “I’ve spent a long time getting to know the people in this community, and not just meeting their needs, but exceeding their expectations is what we strive for. That’s why it was so rewarding to see the smiles on kids’ faces while they played at the event’s free clinic,” Nottoli said.
Vital to the success of this project and the organizer of said clinic, Director of Community Impact for the Sacramento Kings, Betty Low, discussed her team’s motive behind the floor renovation projects with the Good Tidings Foundation. “As part of our health initiative, we strive to get more kids playing basketball and being active. We feel the best way to do that is by building partnerships in the community to give kids a great space to play,” Low said.
As to why Mather was an ideal choice for the first indoor basketball court renovation, Low described it as a central, all-serving complex “CRPD uses this floor for everything: Basketball, volleyball, after school programs and summer programs. This was an important factor in choosing Mather Sports Center because the more kids are served at a facility like this, the more kids learn those great life lessons like perseverance, conflict resolution, communication and teamwork through sports,” Low said.
One of the clinic participants shared his excitement for not only the improvements to the gym, but also the opportunity to attend a free basketball clinic. “I hadn’t been to Mather in a few months and was so excited to see the gym. It looks so cool! The clinic was really fun too! My dad said I had to go finish homework, but I didn’t want to leave after. I’m really glad we went and thankful for the opportunity,” Jessie McDonald, a Gold River Discovery Center student said.
Low and Nottoli encourage community members to visit, experience and enjoy the renovated Mather Sports Center. Follow @CordovaRPD on social media to stay up-to-date with CRPD’s program offerings at Mather Sports Complex and visit www.crpd.com for more information about the Complex’s amenities.
Photos provided by: Stephanie Chow (Good Tidings Foundation), Leslie Olson & Betty Low (Sacramento Kings) and Cady Nagy-Chow (Cordova Recreation & Park District)