Toebben is good sport for Jefferson City Parks & Rec

Angie Toebben holds a hard hat in the future Wellness Center. Toebben is the recreation program supervisor for the Jefferson City Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department.
Angie Toebben holds a hard hat in the future Wellness Center. Toebben is the recreation program supervisor for the Jefferson City Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department.

Proactive and personable, Angie Toebben is a well-known face among those who have been involved in local youth sports.

She uses clear communication and organization to serve hundreds of children in Mid-Missouri each year as the Jefferson City Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department recreation program supervisor.

At the job for nearly 20 years, she reviews each sport season, looking to improve on the previous year.

"I'm customer service oriented," she said. "I stick to the rules but try to help people, too."

She's also good at problem solving. And her experience as a mother of four children, ages 9-21, who have played at a variety of levels, also has helped her see the job from a parent's perspective, she said.

"I take pride in what I do," she said. "I enjoy when I see people smiling when I'm out at our programs."

With a degree in parks and recreation from the University of Missouri, the Westphalia native started at the department's front desk before soon advancing to the supervisor position.

"It's rare to be in a sports position this long; there's a lot of turnover," Toebben said.

But her longevity has helped her to overcome most of the challenges in the position, she said. Reassuring new parents and maintaining coaches and officials are the primary struggles.

"Everyone's so heartfelt for their child, they don't always see the big picture," Toebben said.

A key has been her patience and understanding that parents simply want what's best for their children.

"Even if they start out yelling, after I explain things, it ends with a good conversation," she said.

Networking with other parks and recreation officials from other cities in Missouri and across the nation has been one of the greatest benefits to her work.

"We're honest, open and help each other," Toebben said.

As she has learned from others, she's also shared some good aspects of the Jefferson City programs. For example, several other parks and recreation organizations were interested in the local program's use of three inspirational sayings that rotate on a three-year cycle and are printed on the back of the T-ball and Coach Pitch uniforms.

She's a past president of the Missouri Parks and Recreation Association's sports section, involved with the department's marketing committee and chairman of its Friends of the Park group.

Toebben also was honored in 2008 with the city's Outstanding Service Award and received the state parks and recreation association's Associate Fellow Award in 2014.

Two years ago, her program was recognized by the National Alliance for Youth Sports with the Excellence in Youth Sports Award.

Preparing the application for that process gave her new insight into the program's impact, she said.

"I had never interviewed kids before," Toebben said. "I've seen them playing and having fun but not actually recorded a moment of what they liked."

The process also required her to conduct a community survey and solicit letters of recommendation, which yielded "cool" results, she said.

"You always wonder if your department is worthy of a national award; you know you can always do better," she said.

But having the national organization request her application and then the feedback during the process "makes you feel good," she said.

This year, she finally implemented a new program she'd been hoping to for several years. Catch Me If You Can, a fun run and obstacle course held Labor Day weekend, will expand next year to accommodate more children.

She hopes to implement a healthy foods campaign to educate participants on issues such as proper hydration and appropriate foods before physical activity.

This week, she will help deliver the department's 12th annual Candy Cane Hunt, one of her favorite events, she said.

"I love working for parks and rec and working for the community," Toebben said.