Louisville Parks and Recreation


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General Interests

Athletics / Coaching Youth Sports

Louisville Parks and Recreation hosts youth athletics leagues throughout the year with the goal of providing sports leagues focused on FUN! Volunteers help us promote teamwork and inspire participants build healthy lives through fitness. 

Types of Volunteer Roles

  • Team Coach or Assistant Coach
  • Referee 
  • Time Keeper / Score Keeper
  • Game Support

Sports We Play

  • Baseball
  • Basketball
  • Flag Football
  • Soccer
  • Volleyball

Coaching Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Help supervise teams during practice and games
  • Provide instruction to players with direction from the head coach
  • Assist in running drills during practice
  • Help with any related duties given by coaches and staff
  • Oversee team activities and administrative responsibilities
  • Be a positive role model and have fun!

Non-Coaching Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Provide support during games to create a fun and competitive environment
  • Be a positive role model and support teams and coaches whenever possible
  • Emphasize teamwork and 

Requirements to Serve:

  • Minimum age to volunteer in this position is 18 years old
  • Submit to a criminal record background check prior to volunteering
  • Some knowledge of the game and/or willingness to learn
  • Coaches must complete mandatory training
  • Punctual, energetic, enthusiastic and organized

Time Commitment: 

  • Coaches: 3 to 5  hours per week for the season (typically 8 weeks)
    • Must be able to attend all practices and games 
  • Non-coaching roles: 2 to 3 hours per week for the season

 

Community Center Opportunities

Volunteer at one of our 14 Community Centers! Volunteer roles vary by center and may include Welcome Desk, Clean-up Crew, Gym Monitors, Kids Cafe, Mentoring, Special Events, and more! All community center volunteers are required to complete a Criminal Record Background Check prior to volunteering.

Essential Volunteer Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Assist Community Center Staff with programs and activities
  • Help keep the Community Centers tidy, welcoming spaces
  • Interact with Community Center visitors and participants in a positive and welcoming way

Requirements:

  • Must complete a criminal record background check prior to volunteering
  • Minimum age to volunteer in this position is 16 years old unless accompanied by a parent or guardian
  • Present a professional appearance and a friendly manner
  • Be dependable and punctual
  • Be courteous and personable when dealing with the public

Time Commitment: 

  • Volunteers are asked to serve a minimum of two days per month, for about 2 hours per session

Learn more about Louisville Parks and Recreation's Community Centers and their locations here: https://louisvilleky.gov/government/parks/community-centers

Riverside, the Farnsley-Moremen Landing Historic Home

If you have a love for history, come share that love at the Farnsley-Moreman Riverside Landing. Help care for the historic home, lead tours, and educate the public about the rich history of farming on the Ohio River. Or, give your green thumb a workout at the Riverside Landing historic garden. Learn about how generations of farmers grew crops along the Ohio and put that knowledge to work!

Essential Volunteer Duties and Responsibilities: 

  • Must be willing to become well acquainted with the history of the property, taking advantage of all training opportunities for increasing knowledge
  • Willingness to engage in some physically challenging work that may require bending and lifting in sometimes less than pleasant weather conditions (i.e., heat and humidity)
  • Ability to communicate with visitors in a friendly, informative manner
  • Ability to represent the site with a neat, professional appearance, tactfulness, genuine interest, and hospitality
  • Volunteers who are willing to help with any programs that help us to interpret and promote the house/garden (e.g., through plant or produce sales, special events, school programming, development of garden brochure, etc.) are encouraged

Requirements:

  • Minimum age to volunteer in this position is 16 years old unless accompanied by a parent or guardian
  • Be dependable and punctual
  • Be courteous and personable when dealing with the public

Time Commitment:

  • Due to the training required to be a Docent, volunteers are asked to serve as Docents for at least 6 months, and volunteers should serve a minimum of twice a month
  • Garden volunteers are asked to serve twice a month

Iroquois Amphitheater Ushering Program

The Iroquois Amphitheater concert season runs from March through September each year and Volunteer Ushers help us make each and every show a success!

Essential Volunteer Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Provides a welcoming atmosphere by ensuring all patrons are given professional and friendly customer service in a safe environment.
  • Ushers will be assigned to a specific position or a designated location in the seating area.
  • Ushers are expected to treat all guests as individuals and provide answers to any and all questions.

Time Commitment:

  • Volunteers are asked to commit to at least 5 events in the season.
  • Typical Shift is from 5:00- 11:30 PM (Check-in is 30 minutes before gates

Requirements:

  • Must be at least 18 years of age
  • Professional and clean image for guests
  • Ability to work with a broad range of people
  • Ability to work independently or as a team
  • Ability to deal effectively with stressful situations
  • Exhibits effective communication skills
  • Must have access to a working email account

Dress Code:

  • Amphitheater polo (One will be provided upon arrival of first show)
  • Black or Khaki pants, shorts or skirts; length no shorter than 2 inches above the knee
  • Closed-toe shoes
  • A non-logo baseball cap is acceptable
  • Plain, neutral-colored sweater or jacket for inclement weather

Benefits:

  • Ability to watch a good portion of each show worked
  • Sense of pride to be involved with community events
  • Social networking opportunities
  • Iroquois Amphitheater polo shirt provided

Landscaping and Gardening

Get hands-on gardening experience or share your love of growing with our Community Growers volunteer team. These volunteers work to care for and maintain pollinator and educational gardens in parks and community centers. 

Essential Volunteer Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Attend planning meetings to help develop long term project goals, project planning, and 
  • At-home research opportunities for native plants and gardening practice
  • Weekly watering and weeding projects throughout the growing season
  • Special projects for constructing new gardens 

Requirements:

  • Minimum age to volunteer in this position is 16 years old unless accompanied by a parent or guardian
  • Be dependable and punctual
  • Be courteous and personable when dealing with the public

Time Commitment: 

  • Projects typically last 1.5 to 3 hours depending on the tasks
  • Volunteers are asked to attend one in-person project or meeting per month minimum

Park Improvement Projects / Litter Clean-ups

Join us and make a difference in the Parks! Volunteers play an important role in keeping Louisville's Parks as clean and welcoming as possible. Projects are fairly physically demanding and may include weeding, mulching, litter clean-up, painting, invasive plant removal, or other beautification projects. Volunteers are welcome to attend scheduled projects or work independently in a park.

Essential Volunteer Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Arrive to projects and events on time
  • Dress for the weather and getting dirty
  • Participate in project tasks to the best of their ability
  • Maintain a positive and productive environment for other volunteers and park users
  • Report volunteer service time to My Impact

Requirements:

  • Minimum age to volunteer in this position is 16 years old unless accompanied by a parent or guardian
  • Be dependable and punctual
  • Be courteous and personable when dealing with the public

Time Commitment: 

  • Projects typically last 1.5 to 3 hours depending on the tasks
  • Volunteers are asked to serve at least once a month

Tree Planting and Tree Care

Join our Urban Forestry team for seasonal tree plantings, pruning, and mulching project across Louisville. This team plants appx. 1000 new trees every year in the parks and public right of ways.

Essential Volunteer Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Arrive at projects and events on time
  • Dress for the weather and getting dirty
  • Participate in project tasks to the best of their ability
  • Maintain a positive and productive environment for other volunteers and park users.

Requirements:

  • Minimum age to volunteer in this position is 16 years old unless accompanied by a parent or guardian
  • Be dependable and punctual
  • Be courteous and personable when dealing with the public

Time Commitment: 

  • Projects typically last 3 hours or more, depending on the tasks

For Groups: Corporate and Community Opportunities

Group volunteer projects are a great way for your employees, club, or group to enjoy our parks while giving back to the community.

Guided Group Project: Parks staff will lead your group through a service project to help improve a park, and all the tools and supplies for the project will be provided. Projects are seasonal and may involve raking leaves, mulching, weeding, painting, litter clean-ups, and other projects as needed.

Self-lead Group Project: If you have a project idea for a park you love, you can register your project as a self-lead project. This kind of project offers more flexibility and greater independence for groups and are ideal for boy scouts and girl scouts, clubs, and teams looking to make a difference. Please note, all projects are subject to approval by Louisville Parks and Recreation

Adopt-A-Park is a stewardship program that matches corporate and community partners with a local park to love. Adopt-A-Park partners commit to becoming stewards of this park property. At a minimum, partners perform four projects per year at their adopted park. The Adopt-A-Park program is designed specifically for groups from local companies, schools, neighborhood groups, and other community organizations. Learn more about the program in the Adopt-A-Park Handbook.

To get started complete the Adopt A Park Application HERE or contact the volunteer office at LMPRvolunteer@louisvilleky.gov or call (502) 574-6403 for more information.

Steps to the Application Process - 
  1. Complete an Adopt A Park Application
  2. Informal Interview with Parks Volunteer Coordinator
  3. Team Leaders Complete Volunteer Applications
  4. Team Leaders Complete Volunteer Waiver 
  5. Team Leaders Complete Background Check
  6. Complete a Park Assessment of the Park to Identify Needs and Focus Areas of Group
  7. Complete the Adoption Agreement

For more information, please contact Sarah Flarsheim at (502) 574-6403 or email her at Sarah.Flarsheim@louisvilleky.gov.

Get Social

Community Centers

Activity Shifts Start End
Get Started! Dare to Care Kids' Café 🍎 1

Forestry, Tree Planting and Tree Care

Don't want to register ahead of time? No problem! Walk-ups are welcome!

Don't want to make a MyImpact profile? Email parks@louisvilleky.gov and we can get you signed up sans profile.

Interested in becoming a lead volunteer? Check out our Community Forester Trainings that go more in depth on proper tree planting / tree care.

Activity Shifts Start End
Neighborhood Tree Planting 1 12/2/2023 12/2/2023
Pruning and Pints 1 12/13/2023 12/13/2023

Volunteer Opportunities for Groups

Activity Shifts Start End
Adopt A Park 🌱 Program Application 1
Guided Group Service Projects 1
Self-Lead Group Service Projects 1

Other Ways to Get Involved

Activity Shifts Start End
Employment 1
Jefferson Memorial Forest 1
Olmsted Parks Conservancy 1

Mission Statement

Louisville Parks and Recreation’s volunteer programs support our local communities and park system through continued dedication to clean, green, safe and inclusive spaces. The volunteer program serves as a point of access for community members to park lands, civic engagement, education, and empowerment.