Over the last three years, Jefferson City Assistant Parks Director Aaron Grefrath has grown in his position alongside the building he works out of — The Linc.
When Grefrath started in his position three years ago in January, The Linc was one month shy of opening, and Grefrath was a new city employee, having previously worked for State Technical College of Missouri in Linn.
After graduating from Helias Catholic High School, Grefrath moved on to Lincoln University, where he originally hoped to study criminal justice but was talked out of it by family.
“I just chose physical education as kind of a ‘I guess I’ll do this’ kind of thing,” Grefrath said.
But the field stuck with him. Grefrath has since also earned a master’s degree in education — athletic administration from William Woods University in Fulton.
Following about two years teaching physical education at St. Joseph Cathedral School, several years working for the local YMCA and his time at State Tech, Grefrath made his way to the Jefferson City Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department just as it was preparing to open The Linc.
He said the facility was similar to his experience in Linn, and he saw an opportunity to get back into Jefferson City.
Grefrath’s role as assistant parks director focuses on the recreation or programs side of the department, including anything from youth and adult sports to outdoor recreation to community events. He also oversees the recreation staff and attends Jefferson City Parks and Recreation Commission meetings to keep the commission updated on The Linc and other recreation services.
The unpredictable nature of his position is what he loves the most.
“Every day is a different day,” he said. “You never know what you’re going to walk into, and even if I have the most well thought out and planned day, it never seems to go that way. That’s exciting. It’s not dull; it’s always something new.”
But that isn’t to say the job isn’t without its challenges. Grefrath said while the growth of The Linc since it opened has been great, it comes with problems. One in particular involves The Linc’s basketball courts.
“We’re growing relatively quickly here, so the challenge is sometimes I feel like we’ve outgrown this space already,” Grefrath said. “One of the challenges is trying to find that balance on the basketball courts of how often to we have outside groups come in, how often do we have our own programming, and then trying to meet the needs of the students and the community as well.”
The operation and usage of The Linc is a partnership between JC Parks and Lincoln University, allowing both the community and students a place for recreation and sports. Grefrath said making sure both groups are treated fairly is another challenge.
“When you have a relationship like we have with Lincoln and ourselves, one of the challenges is just making sure you’re taking care of one another,” he said. “I like to consider this like a marriage — sometimes marriages go great, sometimes there’s issues, but you have to continue to work to make it happen.
“That’s sometimes a challenge because they have needs, we have needs, and we’ve got to work together for the common goal.”
While the balance can make the job more difficult, Grefrath sees the struggles as a chance for improvement and change.
During his time, Grefrath has proudly watched public membership to The Linc steadily grow, from 363 after its first year to 1,192 in January. These numbers don’t include LU students because each student is a member automatically as part of their student activity fee.
“The growth, the numbers that we’re finally starting to hit, is very exciting,” Grefrath said. “It seems like we’re starting to get a lot of great feedback, our exercise classes are growing at a steady space, our membership is growing at a rapid pace.”
When not at The Linc, Grefrath spends time with his wife and two daughters — one a Lincoln student and the other attending the University of Missouri.
Grefrath also volunteers with Court Appointed Special Advocates and is looking for other ways to give back to the community.
“I’m looking to give back more because I feel like I can give back more to the community that’s given me so much,” he said.