Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation currently has several renovation projects underway.

McFadden Community Center is in the middle of a massive remodeling. Starplex has a new look and so does portions of Barfield and McKnight Park. Westview Mini Park is on the radar for improvements and the construction of the new indoor tennis complex at Old Fort Park is scheduled to start this year. 

All of the improvements are in an effort to keep up with the growing population of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County and to give the residents a place to relax, to play sports and improve the quality of life for all families in the community.

Ray Metcalf has been involved with the Murfreesboro Basketball League for 18-seasons. The league this year had over one thousand participants from the age of five to fifteen made up of girls and boys.

“What I think the programs that the parks and rec. provide, like the basketball program, is a place for the kids to be active and involved,” said Metcalf. “My mother always said idle hands are the devils workshop and if the kids do not have something constructive to do, something to get them off the  couch and be involved, they could end up getting into trouble. “I also think that if kids do stay involved in these rec. programs through their formative years, they can learn life lessons, learn to respect authority and become good citizens of the community.”

An example of work in that has been completed or soon to be finished is at Starplex, McKnight Park and Barfield Park where canopies now cover most bleachers to provide shade during the hot summer months. McFadden Community Center will have a totally new look in the interior by the end of May. The old Rutherford County Ag. Center at Old Fort Park has been removed and site work is set to start for the indoor tennis facility. 

Jennifer Oswald is a mother of three children and is a regular user of the parks and the facilities that Murfreesboro and Recreation Department provide. “The city has an impressive park system,” said Oswald. “We really like the new Kids Castle for our little one and the greenway is perfect to take a walk and feel safe doing it. “My son has been involved in the Murfreesboro Basketball and Murfreesboro Football league programs and is a regular at SportsCom. We have had a good experience every time we have used a park, a recreation facility or been involved in a recreation program. I am a firm believer that what the city is doing with the parks  and recreation facilities improves the quality of life I am looking for and for the people that live in Rutherford County.”