| September 2025

• Fall Program Registration Underway
• Youth Basketball Registration Begins Sept. 29
• Facility Closings for Annual Maintenance and Cleaning
• MCPS Students Join ‘Inside Recreation’ Podcast to Share Their Adventure to China for Pickleball Diplomacy
• Youth Cricket Academy Bringing the Global Sport to Montgomery County
• Showcasing Our Services: Zumba with Ingrid Higgins
• After-School Fun with Excel Beyond The Bell, Club Adventure and More
• Upcoming Events with Montgomery County Recreation 

Watch The Rec Insider on YouTube

Want a quick recap of everything that's happening with Montgomery County Recreation this month? Watch the September edition of The Rec Insider on our YouTube channel!

Fall Program Registration Underway

Montgomery County Recreation's fall program registration is underway! Fall programs and activities are tailored to a variety of interests, skill levels and ages, and include fitness, sports, visual and performing arts, therapeutic recreation, adult 55+ programming and more. There are hundreds of programs available to help you achieve an active and healthier lifestyle.

Visit ActiveMONTGOMERY to register. You can also explore available offerings in our digital GUIDE. 

For more information about registration, call our customer service team at 240-777-6840.

Youth Basketball Registration Begins Sept. 29

Play with friends and have fun on the court with our MoCoRec winter youth basketball league!

Nothing but net! Registration for Montgomery County Recreation’s youth basketball leagues for grades K-12 will begin Monday, Sept. 29 at 8:30 a.m.

These leagues provide a rich environment to foster development of basketball techniques and advance skills in discipline, sportsmanship, teamwork and more. For more information, visit our sports page.

Interested in becoming a coach? We’re looking for adult volunteers to coach basketball for youth ages 5-17. We prefer volunteers with knowledge of basketball rules who demonstrate good character, patience and have a desire to help children learn. If interested, email rec.sports@montgomerycountymd.com. 

Facility Closings for Annual Maintenance and Cleaning

Know before you go! Some of our locations will be closed during September for annual maintenance and cleaning. Here are the closing dates and locations:

Aquatic Centers

• Closed now through Sept. 14
  • Silver Spring Recreation and Aquatic Center

Recreation Centers

• Closed now through Sept. 7
  • Wisconsin Place Community Recreation Center
• Closed Sept. 7 - 14
  • Germantown Community Recreation Center
• Closed Sept. 14 - 21
  • Good Hope Neighborhood Recreation Center
  • Potomac Community Recreation Center
• Closed Sept. 21 - 28
  • Bette Carol Thompson Scotland Neighborhood Recreation Center
  • Wheaton Community Recreation Center

MCPS Students Join ‘Inside Recreation’ Podcast to Share Their Adventure to China for Pickleball Diplomacy

(Left to right) Montgomery County Recreation Supervisor Mark Comer and recent MCPS graduates Safae Elalami, Ryan Corkery and Trinh Au spoke with guest host Monika Hammer on the 'Inside Recreation' podcast about the students' trip to China earlier this year as part of MCPS' 'Pickleball Diplomacy' initiative, as well as pickleball's increase in popularity both in Montgomery County and globally.

What happens when you combine a growing sport with a trip across the world to build relationships with other youth? Three Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) graduates joined our latest Inside Recreation podcast episode to talk about their participation in the MCPS Pickleball Diplomacy initiative and their adventure this year to China as ambassadors for both the sport and the County.

Listen to this episode of Inside Recreation now on major streaming platforms including Buzzsprout, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and iHeart. You can also watch this episode on our YouTube channel.

And check out the MCPS-produced documentary breaking down the entire adventure.

Youth Cricket Academy Bringing the Global Sport to Montgomery County

The Youth Cricket Academy is a year-round program that teaches fundamentals and includes scrimmages and matches in a supportive environment.

Cricket is one of the most popular sports in the world and with its inclusion in the 2028 Summer Olympics and the launch of Major League Cricket, the sport is becoming one of the fastest-growing activities for young athletes. Montgomery County Recreation has partnered with the Youth Cricket Academy to bring the sport to County residents.

The Youth Cricket Academy is a year-round program that teaches fundamentals and includes scrimmages and matches in a supportive environment. Practices and games are held during the spring, summer and fall at Calverton-Galway Local Park and in the winter at East County Community Recreation Center. 

Check out our recent video feature of the Youth Cricket Academy now on our YouTube channel. Learn more about the program and register on our website.

Earlier this year, our Inside Recreation podcast featured Youth Cricket Academy co-founder Arif Wali as he spoke about the program, playing the sport growing up and his journey towards helping youth both on and off the field. Arif was also recognized as one of three inaugural 'Unsung Sports Heroes' earlier this year by the Sports Advisory Committee during the Montgomery County Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, due to his work with youth sports in the community.

Showcasing Our Services: Zumba with Ingrid Higgins

For almost six years, Ingrid Higgins has worked as a contractor for Montgomery County Recreation and has taught several popular Zumba classes for residents across the County. She became a licensed Zumba instructor in May 2017 and has maintained this passion as a fun and fulfilling side job, along with her full-time position as a management and budget specialist. When the Wheaton Community Recreation Center opened in 2019, Ingrid reached out to Montgomery County Recreation about working as a Zumba instructor. The rest is history! “I really enjoy being able to bring people together from different parts of the County,” Ingrid said. The Recreation Department gives me the flexibility to teach at times and locations that fit my schedule, which is incredibly important since I also have a full-time job and a family. That flexibility makes a big difference.”

Two of her weekly Zumba and Zumba Toning classes are on Wednesdays at Good Hope Neighborhood Recreation Center and Saturdays at Wheaton, the latter of which has had at times more than 50 participants.

“My Zumba classes are fun and very diverse,” Ingrid said. “I have participants of all races, genders and ages, which really enhances the energy of the class.”

Ingrid said that while some people arrive early to grab their favorite spot up front, others prefer to hang in the back and learn.

“The most important thing for me is that everyone feels comfortable in the space, enjoys getting their exercise and has fun. I want my students to feel like they’re the stars of the class. There’s nothing better than seeing those happy, smiling faces at the end.”

Musically, she mixes up her classes with genres such as salsa, merengue, cumbia, reggaeton, dembow, Afro-pop and champeta, among many others. “I aim to make the playlist exciting and culturally diverse, so participants not only enjoy the rhythms but are also exposed to music from around the world,” Ingrid said. “That’s part of the magic of Zumba.”

During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Ingrid wanted to continue teaching and help provide some sense of normalcy for her students. She proposed the idea of teaching virtual classes and was able to keep that instruction going during a period of social isolation.

“When we were later allowed to hold in-person classes outdoors, I began teaching outside of places like Holiday Park Senior Center and Good Hope,” Ingrid said. “I set up a small table for my computer and used a Mi-Fi device to connect to the internet so participants could join in person or online, whichever they preferred.”

Through it all, Ingrid has been able to provide a wonderful service that allows County residents to move their bodies together in a communal environment and build new, lasting relationships.

“Everyone is welcome in my class! Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced dancer, you can modify the moves to fit your level. The goal is to enjoy one hour of movement and fun. Come as you are. You’ll be surprised by how much fun you’ll have.”

Spots are still available for Ingrid's Zumba classes this fall at Good Hope. You can register through ActiveMONTGOMERY.

After-School Fun with Excel Beyond The Bell, Club Adventure and More

Our after-school programs such as Excel Beyond the Bell, pictured above, provide a wide array of activities outside of the classroom at MCPS schools and our Montgomery County Recreation centers.

The new school year has arrived and that means the return of our Montgomery County Recreation after-school programs! These programs provide a safe environment for students to participate in a variety of fun and enriching recreational activities ranging from sports, music, cooking, STEM, leadership opportunities and more. 

We recently put together a video spotlight on our Excel Beyond the Bell Middle after-school program, held in 10 middle schools across the County. With an appearance from Recreation Supervisor Nina Bersabal, learn more about the impact that Excel Beyond the Bell has for middle school youth. Learn more about all of our Youth Development after-school programs on our website. 

And make sure to spread the word about our after-school program Club Adventure, held at a number of our recreation centers for students from kindergarten to fifth grade. For just $75 per month, Club Adventure provides an affordable alternative to other daycare options while maintaining exciting programming and is led by professional dedicated staff. Registration for Club Adventure is underway through ActiveMONTGOMERY.

There is also still space at some locations in the Club Friday program, a safe and exhilarating hangout designed for youth in grades 3-6.

Our Kids Day Out series also returns this school year, kicking off on Thursday, Oct. 2! Kids Day Out is organized out-of-school time fun, with well-planned and supervised activities at several of our recreation centers. Registration is now underway.

Upcoming Events with Montgomery County Recreation