grotenhuis-traceySOUTH DAKOTA
Tracey Grotenhuis ’02
Recreation superintendent, City of Yankton Parks and Recreation

For Tracey Grotenhuis (M.A. ’02), Parks and Recreation is more than just a TV show. It’s her life.

Grotenhuis serves as the recreation superintendent for the Parks and Recreation department in Yankton, S.D.

“It is so important for our department to offer numerous programs throughout the year for both adults and children,” she says. “Our mission statement is to enhance the quality of life for the citizens of Yankton through high-quality parks, facilities, programs and community special events. I feel our department does that on a daily basis!”

In some ways, Grotenhuis has been working in recreation all her life. At the University of Kansas as an undergraduate, she ran track, and at UMKC she was an intern at Swinney Recreation Center.

After she finished her graduate degree, Grotenhuis took an opportunity to return to a sport she loves — volleyball. She coached the volleyball team at Mount Marty College in Yankton, S.D., for nine years.

“I hope that I inspired them to work hard and give their best effort in all facets of their lives,” Grotenhuis says. “You only have a short time to be a college student and my goal was that each one of our student athletes on the volleyball team made the most of that experience.”

Though she loved coaching, Grotenhuis moved to a role at the Parks and Recreation department in order to spend more time with her husband and two children. Today, she coordinates programming that benefits thousands of adults and children — everything from sports leagues to music classes.

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