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By DAVE DOMESCIK | Staff Writer

PELHAM – As the days get longer and temperatures rise in Pelham, the city’s Parks and Recreation department is offering a plethora of activities for residents to stay busy this summer.

The Pelham Rec Center is hosting a family kickball night on Friday, June 13. The kickball game starts at 6 p.m., followed by pizza and popsicles at 7 p.m. The event is open to all ages, with no experience needed. The event costs $3 per family member, with space limited and advance registration required. Registration is currently open and closes on Sunday, June 8.

That same week, Birmingham Beach Volleyball is hosting a youth volleyball clinic on Tuesday, June 10 at the Pelham Rec Center. Open to ages 8-12, the clinic runs from 9 a.m. to noon and covers both indoor and sand volleyball. The cost for the event is $20 per child.

The Pelham Neighborhood Bowling League is also set to return this summer. The non-competitive eight-week league is open exclusively to Pelham neighborhoods. Teams will bowl on Tuesday evenings from Tuesday, June 10 to Tuesday, July 29 at Oak Mountain Lanes from 6-9 p.m. The cost is $85 per person, which is payable directly to Oak Mountain Lanes at the start of the season. The league is open to ages 12 and up.

The Pelham Tennis Center is also holding a summer camp led by experienced tennis pros. Each session of the camp runs Monday-Thursday from 9-11 a.m., with makeup days on Fridays for any rainouts. Camps are available for two age groups: 5-10 and 11-18. Sessions will run on June 2-5, June 9-12 and June 16-19. The price is $160 for one week, $300 for two weeks and $400 for all three weeks, with family discounts available.

Registration for Ballantrae Golf Club’s summer junior league is set to tee off soon, while the course’s PGA Summer Camp will run from Monday, June 9 to Thursday, June 12. The summer camp costs $200 per junior, and includes instruction and one hole of play to kick off the camp.

Brian Cooper, the director of Pelham Parks and Rec, explained how the department goes about planning such a diverse slate of summer activities for families and youth.

“We meet as a staff annually to decide which events we want to continue offering, including adding or deleting some from the schedule,” Cooper said. “Most are annual events so they stay on the calendar. From time to time, we see new trends happening and decide it might be worth trying something similar.”

Diversity is also a key component of the offerings from Pelham Parks and Rec, according to Cooper.

“Obviously, we want to offer a diverse calendar—something for everyone to enjoy from (age) 3 to 93,” Cooper said. Whether it’s an athletic league, summer camp, outdoor movie or a larger event like (Pelham) Palooza, we want everyone in our community to come out and enjoy the park system either informally or in a program.”

Cooper described the Parks and Rec culture in Pelham as one that is family-oriented and presents high-quality offerings to residents and visitors alike.

“We take great pride in our preparation for events so that on ‘game day’, we have everything covered and can enjoy the fruits of our labor,” Cooper said. “The community often comments (on) how organized the event is, which is a testament to our staff.”

For more information on Pelham Parks and Recreation, visit Pelhamalabama.gov/902/Parks-Recreation.