Allen Parks and Recreation's Joey Ramos, Athletic Program Supervisor, was honored with the distinguished 2018 Recreation Professional of the Year Award for Class I from the Texas Recreation and Park Society (TRAPS) North Region.
The Recreation Professional of the Year Award for Class I annually recognizes one outstanding professional for their contributions to the recreation field in North Texas in cities with over a 75,000 population.
Joey joined Allen Parks and Recreation in 2013 and oversees all of the department’s athletic leagues year-round, which includes basketball, flag football, kickball, soccer, softball, volleyball, tennis and ultimate frisbee. For the City of Allen’s new Spirit Park, which has a lighted softball complex, Joey has been responsible for establishing the softball leagues, which includes planning and scheduling to create seasons that work well for players and staff.
To enhance the experience at the annual Market Street Allen USA Celebration, Joey developed the concept for the “Are You as Tough as a Cowboy?” Combine Challenge powered by Michael Johnson Performance, where participants compete in NFL combine drills for a chance to meet a current Cowboy football player. Joey also oversees the City of Allen’s holiday 5K Rudolph Run and family fun run, having the idea to refresh and rebrand this year’s fun run to the .5K Donner Dash, which includes a cup of cocoa.
Being passionate about giving back to the community, Joey relaunched Alliance for a Healthier Allen (AHA), a committee comprised of representatives from the local government, schools, healthcare professionals, community organizations, companies and families determined to promote and create healthy lifestyles in Allen. Also, being an active member of the Texas Amateur Athletic Foundation (TAAF), Joey helped create a new statewide competition called the TAAF Gridiron Skills Challenge, where participants compete in football skills and a 40-yard dash, as a replacement for the annual Punt, Pass and Kick competition, which is no longer being offered.
TRAPS North is a professional organization dedicated to providing education, advocacy and resources to all who enhance the quality of life through parks, open spaces and recreation.