Every parks and recreation organization operates differently. While many face similar challenges, their needs can vary significantly from one community to the next. The right technology must be flexible enough to support those differences without making daily work more complicated.
We spoke with Denise G. at Norridge Park District about how the district uses ACTIVENet to manage its operations.
With more than 20 years of experience in parks and recreation, including 18 years at another park district before joining Norridge in 2019, Denise understands both the complexity of recreation operations and the uncertainty that can come with learning new systems and processes.
As the district's administrative assistant, safety coordinator, and ACTIVENet administrator, Denise wears many hats. Her responsibilities include entering programs and activities into ACTIVENet, managing reports, coordinating facility reservations, and providing customer support. She also trains staff on ACTIVENet and ensures teams have access to the resources they need to use the system effectively.
How does Norridge Park District use ACTIVENet?
We use ACTIVENet for summer camps, payment plans, programs, drop-in activities, point-of-sale transactions, memberships, special events, and facility reservations. Our operations are located on one property, but we manage a lot of different spaces. We have four baseball fields, three soccer fields, outdoor courts, a banquet facility, a gymnasium, a fitness center, and an aquatic facility with several pool areas.
Each space has its own schedule, uses, and operational needs. ACTIVENet gives us one place to manage all of it.
How does ACTIVENet support facility management?
ACTIVENet is our source of truth. We use it as the master reservation schedule for our facilities. I manage facility coordination through ACTIVENet, and we go by what is entered into the system. That information is then shared with the teams that need it. ACTIVENet gives us one central place to understand what is happening across the district and helps ensure everyone is working from the same schedule.
How does ACTIVENet make facility reservations easy to manage?
The reservation process is easy to navigate. You can go back, make changes, or cancel without getting stuck and having to start over. That may sound simple, but it makes a big difference when you are managing a lot of requests and need to work quickly.
With the system I used previously, I could sometimes get stuck while creating a reservation and couldn't easily go back or correct something. With ACTIVENet, there is always a way to move backward, make a correction, and keep moving. You don't feel trapped in the workflow.
Are there reservation tools that save you time?
I can enter a reservation once and copy it to other facilities instead of rebuilding it every time. That is especially helpful when we are coordinating similar uses across several spaces.
We also recently created pool birthday party reservations in ACTIVENet. It was easy to set them up and make the facility reservable. The system gives us the flexibility to create new offerings and manage them alongside the rest of our facility schedule.
What was it like learning ACTIVENet after 18 years at another organization?
After 18 years at my previous organization, I was nervous about learning new software and processes. When you spend that long at one organization, you become familiar with its software, processes, and ways of doing things. Moving to a new district meant learning a new system and a new operation at the same time.
But I was able to jump into ACTIVENet and start using it. It was much easier than I expected. The registration and reservation tools were so much better than what I had used previously. I was able to get into the system and start working.
What makes ACTIVENet easy to train staff on?
ACTIVENet is easy to explain, easy to demonstrate, and easy for staff to learn. I can walk employees through a process, show them how it works, and then let them practice.
We use our training site frequently to help staff become comfortable using the system without feeling like every click might cause a problem. I tell staff they're not going to break anything. They can get into the training environment, try things, and learn by doing. That helps remove some of the fear that comes with learning new software.
How has the system supported cross-training?
Before 2020, responsibilities were more divided by location. The administrative building primarily handled reservations, while the fitness building focused more on memberships. Now, staff across locations need to be able to do more.
As our locations took on more responsibilities, ACTIVENet made it easier to cross-train staff on memberships, registrations, and reservations. We created our own internal training manual based on our processes. Because ACTIVENet is easy to demonstrate, I can show employees what to do and then let them work through it themselves.
Where do you go when you need help?
I like having several different resources available. I use ACTIVENet Answers, phone support, our account manager, and user groups. There are multiple places to look for information or ask questions, depending on what I need.
That support matters because learning doesn't stop after implementation. Operations change, staff change, and new questions come up.
What else stands out about the system?
Memberships are another area I use frequently. I can look up memberships by package, see when someone joined, and review which offerings customers are using. We also use membership verification and scanning.
At one point, we wanted to encourage customers to scan in more consistently, so we created a monthly raffle basket. The only way to enter was to scan into the facility. It helped encourage customers to use the check-in process and reinforced the workflow with staff at the same time.
What advice would you give an organization considering a new system?
Don't hesitate. ACTIVENet is so versatile. It will help you in ways you don't know right now. It's easy to use, and it's easy to train your staff.
Changing systems can feel intimidating, especially when you have used the same technology and processes for years. But once I started using ACTIVENet, I realized how much easier the transition could be.
Built for the way recreation teams work
No two recreation organizations use technology in exactly the same way.
One district may rely heavily on facility reservations. Another may need stronger membership tools, program registration, reporting, or point-of-sale support. Many need all of those functions working together.
That's why versatility matters.
At Norridge Park District, ACTIVENet supports a wide range of programs, facilities, and daily operations while serving as the district's master reservation schedule. Its intuitive design also makes it easier for staff to learn the system, navigate workflows, and take on responsibilities across locations.
For recreation teams managing complex operations and changing needs, having flexible, easy-to-use technology makes all the difference.
