New Beach and Recreation Department Recreation Supervisor Jen Catone has had a life dedicated to sports and has finally landed her dream job with Madison. Recreation supervisor may sound like an easy way to spend the working day, but the job has year-long demands.

Jen grew up in Wolcott and worked at Connecticut-based ESPN for eight years, where her primary focus was on client advertising, but she says she was always yearning for a job interacting with kids and making a difference through sports and activity. She says her job at ESPN was a high-stress one, where she was responsible for the detailed coordination of all of the live advertisements appearing on the company’s broadcasts.

“I was there for a little over eight years, and I was working advertising operations. I worked on commercial operations, so our department would be responsible for facilitating a commercial log, meaning we would be in charge of placement of live ads based on client requests and deal points, and also doing their billboards…all those little pop-ups and billboards you see during a game. It was a lot of money tied to it, and it was high-pressure for sure because if you made a mistake, it could be a $100,000 mistake,” Jen says.

Jen says she enjoyed her time at the network but was always dreaming of being involved with children and sports.

“I really enjoyed ESPN and loved my coworkers, but I’ve always had this love for sports and recreation and community. So, I’ve known for a long time that I really wanted to work in a park and rec situation,” Jen says. “I had applied to a few jobs over the last four years while I was still at ESPN, and I had a few interviews but didn’t really find anything. But I always knew that I really wanted to work in and have my career move in a space where I’d feel like I’m giving back or providing something for someone. I applied to Madison, and when I interviewed with [Beach and Recreation Director] Austin [Hall] and [Assistant Director] Heather [Noblin], things went well. It all worked out.”

Jen jumped directly into her new position at the height of summer, joining the team right after Independence Day, but the excitement of landing the position outweighed any demands she felt, says Jen.

“July 5, right after the 4th of July, was my first day, and I really love it. It is such a change from what I was doing, but I’m learning a lot, and I’ve said this to a few people: Austin really took a chance on me. I didn’t really have the full-time rec experience,” Jen says. “I’m a personal trainer too, so I’ve always done boot camp classes and some programming for larger groups. So, it was great it all worked out, and now I get to work on the beach every day. It’s certainly a lot different than reporting to my old cubicle every day. So far, I love it,” Jen

laughs.

The end of summer doesn’t mean the end of the recreation supervisor’s job. In fact, Jen says, the coming months will be extremely busy for the entire department.

“I’m also director of the before- and after-school program. That program itself is roughly 200 kids. Right now, a lot of my time is spent facilitating that program and making sure it’s running smoothly,” she says.

Coordinating that program’s elements is a challenge, but one that Jen says she embraces.

“That entails parent phone calls, working closely with my staff, making sure all of the paperwork is there for pickups, allergies, all of the medical needs, making sure parents are current on dues,” says Jen. “They take place right on site, right at the school, so the program is quite big. The kids have a lot to pick from; the kids run around on the blacktop, they can play on the playground, and they can sit inside and do arts and crafts. We have kids from Jefferey [Elementary] and Ryerson [Elementary] and also from Brown Intermediate School. A lot of my day is spent working through that program while also still working a season ahead.”

According to Jen, one of her priorities for the winter is reestablishing the yoga program.

“One big goal for the winter is to get yoga going. We had that at one point but haven’t offered it in a while, so I am working on getting a yoga class for the winter,” says Jen. “I am in the middle of trying to find instructors for that. So, that will be exciting to be able to offer that again.”

Jen says the department will also offer some new programs for the winter and has already started working on programming.

“I was just talking to Austin, and we’re working on rec basketball, which is third through eighth grade, both boys and girls. Getting that up and going means player evaluations; we have to coordinate parent-volunteer coaches. So, we have to ensure proper coaching; that can be a struggle to find parents to commit to that. So, there is always something to work on,” Jen says. “We’re working on floor hockey, volleyball, a speed and agility program going on for the winter. This will be the first winter for that, so I am very excited about that.”

Between all of those duties, Jen says being connected to the town is a huge part of the position as well. Residents, both old and new, have questions about programming, along with comments, complaints, and inquiries on all aspects of the department.

“Really, a big part of the job is being available to the public. That means answering the phone all day and handling questions that residents have,” she says. “They want to know the water temperatures, they want a jellyfish report, they want to know if the shack is open. So, there is a constant stream of questions from folks about what’s going on in town, especially at the parks and beaches.”

There is also a host rental space coordination that needs to be juggled at the Surf Club, which is available all year, along with social media duties.

“We rent out our surf deck and the main room for retirements, weddings, engagement parties, birthday parties, whatever the event is. Coordinating all of those details is a big effort. Really, the whole job is about coordination,” Jen laughs. “One of my projects that we have up and running is an Instagram page now, and we’re on Facebook too. One of my goals for myself was to get our social media more out there to the public. That’s where a lot of people are moving and where a lot of eyeballs can see what programs we have, and we also have a monthly newsletter to piggyback on what we’re doing.”

Jen says she has appreciated the welcome she has received since joining and the support her colleagues have shown.

“I really would like a shout-out to the whole department. A lot of people I work with have been at the department for years and, in many cases, have grown up in Madison or been with Beaches and Recreation for decades. They know so much, and they have been very informative and have definitely helped me get up on my feet and get going,” says Jen.

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/BeachRec or Instagram @madisonbeachandrecreation.