By AMANDA KIMBLE
TheFlashToday.com
STEPHENVILLE (September 27, 2016) – Hawk Scott is ready to dive into all things recreation related in the city of Stephenville. He was recently hired to serve as recreation superintendent and plans to take the reins at Stephenville Parks and Recreation Department (SPARD) on October 4.
His path to city park is a long one, paved with qualifications. He was a student athlete. He’s a coach, teacher and baseball player. He has held a similar role. Scott has even helped build up one of the biggest recreation brands in the state of Texas.
An El Paso native, Scott, 36, graduated from Coronado High School in 1999. A baseball scholarship took him from the city’s west side to the University of Texas at Brownsville.
After receiving his associate’s degree, Scott went to work for Schlitterbahn Water Parks & Resorts. He began working a lifeguard and climbed his way up to operations manager in no time. Scott said he forged lifetime bonds with Schlitterbahn frontrunners including owner Jeff Henry.
UT Brownsville came knocking again and offered Scott a spot on the baseball roster – and another two-year scholarship. He graduated in the winter of 2007, obtaining a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and a teaching certificate.
His path then took him just down the road, where he signed on with the city of Brownsville. It was a small role, as a part-time recreation leader. He loved the job – getting paid to share his love of sports and physical fitness with children.
But, one day while things at work were at a standstill, Scott’s inability to do nothing led him to start building and painting things. His boss was impressed and told him to keep building.
“I can’t stay still, I am the type of person wants to be doing something all of the time,” Scott said.
That project became the Urban Center at Gonzalez Park. It received the Texas Recreation and Parks Society 2009 Class II Arts and Humanities Award and the National Parks and Recreation Association 2010 Southwest Region Arts and Humanities Award.
His perseverance, creativity and ability to inspire coworkers led to a promotion within the city, where he was named parks and recreation manager. Scott said while he was a part of the team, the city of Brownsville parks department did “good things.”
“Our events became a big deal, not just sports like softball, baseball and kickball,” Scott said. “July 4th and the Sombrero Festival during Charro Days, we worked well together as a team.”
During his time there, the city of Brownsville also constructed a $35 million sports park, but Scott said that wasn’t the greatest accomplishment during his tenure.
“The biggest deal was that we were a family unit and took care of each other,” he said.
Still, Scott knew his time with Schlitterbahn Waterparks & Resorts was not done. In 2014, Jeff Henry invited him to return as operations director during the opening of a new resort in Corpus Christi.
“I was there until July (2016),” Scott said.
Fast forward a month or two and Scott was in Stephenville the first time, interviewing for SPARD opening.
“Everybody knows about Stephenville,” Scott said. “And my old director suggested I apply for job.”
Asked if he has any immediate plans when it comes to the city, Scott only had a few.
“I’m looking forward to meeting my new coworkers and getting started,” he said “Even when we work together, we won’t be able to please everyone, but we are going to do the best we can.”
Scott will take the lead from Tim Miller, who has served as interim superintendent since the termination of longtime SPARD employee Brenda Haggard.
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