Conroe City Council approved the creation of a recreation specialist position Feb. 9.

According to previous reporting, an agenda item was discussed in a Feb. 8 council workshop because of Conroe's growth seen in the parks and recreation programs. Director of Parks and Recreation Mike Riggens said in a Feb. 10 email the new position is important because it will provide assistance to the recreation coordinator for sports programming in order to enhance the youth and adult sports offerings, create new programs and continue to provide high-quality customer service.

"The Conroe United youth soccer program started in the fall of 2018 with 342 participants. The 2021 fall season had 861 participants, and the spring 2023 season will see a record number of participants of close to 1,300. Examples of new programs include youth and adult volleyball leagues, indoor and sand; youth camps and clinics; adult basketball leagues; youth and adult pickleball," Riggens said.

According to Riggens, the new position will be advertised through professional affiliations as well as the typical advertising outlets. Riggens said the staff hopes to have the position filled by summer.