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Whether you are 9 months or 90 years old, there is a program for you offered in the ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ. The ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ Aquatics unit manages 26 miles of lakefront including 23 swimming beaches plus one inland beach, 50 outdoor pools, 27 indoor pools and works with Chicago Public Schools to operate school pools for community use in areas without a park pool.

Community Programs
Aquatic classes and programs are offered for numerous age groups and skill levels that begin in the fall and continue through mid-May. Summer programs are offered mid-June through mid-August. These classes include: Tiny Tot Learn to Swim; Parent and Child Learn to Swim; Youth, Teen and Adult Learn to Swim; Junior Lifeguard; Swim Team; Water Polo; and Aquatic Exercise. There are classes designed specifically for seniors, such as Water Walking, and many pools offer a swim club for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle. In cooperation with the ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵA Swimming Foundation and its Make A Splashâ„¢ initiative, we are working to spread awareness of the importance of Chicagoans learning how to swim by increasing programs at each pool location.

Specialty Programs
Advanced training and competition are offered in our group swimming and water polo clubs for youth and teens. Athletes in our competitive programs participate in local, regional and national competitions. Our water polo club is the four-time Midwest Zone qualifier for the National Speedo Cup Tournament and recently sent three teams to the Junior Olympic tournament in July 2009. Swimmers on the swim club have qualified for competition as members of the Illinois State team and for the zone championships. Members of these clubs have also had the experience of attending clinics with Olympians and former Olympians where they have developed advanced skills and learned about goal setting as well as an athlete's need for proper health and nutrition. Summer aquatic specialty programs are offered in swimming, water polo and junior lifeguard, a program that trains youth to be future lifeguards. Opportunities for expanded programming are planned for kayaking, SCUBA, sailing and synchronized swimming.

Training
¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ aquatic instructor staff is certified by the American Red Cross in Water Safety, Lifeguard Training, CPR/AED, First Aid and Sport Safety Training. There are more than 300 year-round aquatic staff that help deliver the community programs and maintain the safety of pool facilities. Aquatic instructor staff also trains and recertifies field aquatic staff in all facets of aquatics as well as CPR, First Aid and AED. All 1,000 seasonal and year-round lifeguard and instructor staff is recertified annually.

The mission of the Athletics Unit is to offer Citywide Sports competitions that align with the offerings of the Parks within the district. The unit is also responsible for maintaining relationships with grant Partners to bring offerings to the District that are unique and align with the Park Districts Mission statement.  The Athletics unit includes the following offerings:  

• Seasonal Sports Citywide Tournaments: Basketball, floor hockey, pickleball, track and field, cross country, volleyball, flag football, soccer, and wrestling.
• Inner City Sports Programs: We offer programs that offer sports leagues to communities in need at no cost to participants. The offerings are basketball, baseball, flag football, girls softball. Baseball and softball are grant- funded by the Chicago Cubs. Flag football is grant-funded by the Chicago Bears.
• Junior Bears:  Our tackle football program is grant-funded by the Chicago Bears with over 14 teams participating throughout the season with over 300 kids 9 years to 12 years old.
• Windy City Hoops:  22 sites have Activities Instructors whose role is to recruit teens to participate in basketball practices, leading to the formation of teen leagues at all 22 sites. New in 2024 was the cross play: where Windy City sites would travel to play matchups against other Windy City sites. Windy City parks also participate in many city organization tournaments. The program runs year-round, keeping teens busy three days a week!
• Summer Offerings:  Over the summer months the Athletics Department partners with ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵTA to provide tennis camps at six sites including lots of one-day pop-ups at Day Camps, Inner City Baseball had eight participating parks.
• Summer Teen Leagues: At 16 sites, separate from the Windy City sites, Seasonal Activities Instructors use the same model as Windy City Basketball to offer leagues at every site. The league culminates with the winner of every site participating in Summer Jam Finals. Summer Teen programming also includes four soccer sites, that use the same model as Windy City. During the 2023 year, the Summer Teen Leagues supported over 600 teens. Additionally, skateboarding Go Grind camps are offered at six skate park locations.
• Rolling Rec:  Athletics took over the duties of facilitating the Rolling Rec Program. This program uses vans loaded with games and activities geared toward youth. The van engages children at playgrounds or parks that do not have a fieldhouse. The program also helps out at My City Run events. In 2024 two Rolling Rec Vans were added to attend Friday and Saturday Night Out in the Park events to engage teens in communities of need.
• Boxing:  There are 22 boxing sites in the parks that we program. Our Boxing Coordinator hosts Thursday Night Boxing Shows for 25 weeks from May until October, with most held outside for the community to enjoy. These events showcase the program's up-and-coming talent from eight years old to 19 years old. We also host a number of specialty boxing shows including the All Girls Show, and The Daley Plaza Show.

The Athletics unit also participates in trainings and many other OST (Out of School Time) events. Our Senior Coordinator also assists with Girls in the Game program. 

The ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ gymnastics program is a year-round series of exciting and enjoyable fitness activities that enhances children's athletic abilities for all sports and physical skills through physical and mental discipline. Trained and certified instructors are responsible for teaching fundamental techniques of gymnastics, tumbling, cheerleading and dance, helping young people excel through participation in activities that develop self-discipline, self-esteem and a sense of self-accomplishment in its early childhood, youth and teen participants. Early childhood participants develop and enhance their motor, listening and social skills through movement education programming. Youth and teen participants experience a positive gymnastics experience while developing skills on all the Olympic gymnastics events. The gymnastics, tumbling and cheerleading programs encourage and train athletes for the ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ competitive teams and the dance program trains dancers for the ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ performance dance team, Jump Co.

The ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ’s Sailing and Rowing Unit provides quality on the water training programs for community residents. The ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ’s Sailing Program is formed of Public Private Partnerships. The oldest and largest is the ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ’s Judd Goldman Sailing Program in Burnham Park Harbor. A partnership with the Judd Goldman Adaptive Sailing Foundation, this partnership program provides sail training and boating programs for community residents and provides on the water experiences for all participants able bodied and disabled alike. The main sailing program is located in Burnham Harbor at the Judd Goldman Sailing Center while Endeavour Chicago programs are run out of Monroe Harbor. Satellite programs are hosted at Humboldt Park, Garfield Park and Columbus Park Lagoons. During the offseason, the Unit services a fleet of 60+ boats, implements classroom-based training programs, plans and coordinates on the water events, updates and disseminates boat launching information for the Lake Front Access Trail, as well as beach storage opportunities. 

The ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ is proud of its place in history as the first Special Olympics program. In partnership with Special Children’s Charities, Chicago Public Schools, and Special Olympics Illinois continues to conduct the city-wide competitions for all of the park programs, CPS, and other residential and social service agencies. We offer over 80 competition dates for the nearly 200 registered Special Olympics delegations. The signature event, Spring Games (Track and Field) has nearly 4,000 athletes and stretches across six days. Year-round offerings include 18 sports for ages 8 to adult and non-competitive Special Olympics Young Athletes programming designed for ages 3-7. We are often invited and participate in invitational tournaments hosted by other state chapters. Athletes that achieve gold medals advance from local and state games are selected for National Games and World Games that take place every four years.

The mission of the ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ special recreation program is to provide a diverse range of recreational opportunities for children and adults with disabilities. These include the following programs and services: Adaptive Sports; Paralympic Sports; recreation and leisure programs for deaf/hard of hearing and/or blind/visually impaired individuals, ranging from introductory levels to competitive sports. There are two locations with year-round programs for deaf/hard of hearing individuals. There are 16 locations that work with individuals with intellectual disabilities. One location offers programs with a primary focus to work with youth at risk. All special recreation field staff and inclusion aides are trained in behavior management and adaptive sport skills. Participant assessments are completed when requested to assure an individual with a disability will be successful in any program the ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ offers.

The ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ special recreation program has developed a partnership with schools and agencies that work with individuals with disabilities, focusing on the expansion of services for physical and sensory disabilities, with a goal to create a ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ Paralympic team. Leagues and competitions for youth at risk, a program with the alternative schools within the City of Chicago, are also coordinated through the special recreation program. This successful outreach offers the recreational opportunities needed for this population.

Learn more about the ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ's Special Recreation Programs.

The Community Recreation Teen Engagement Unit actively engages Chicago’s teens in intentional, safe, fun spirited activities that develop important life skills and a healthy approach to living while exposing them to a broad range of career opportunities in the fields of recreation, health, fitness, and sports. The Unit actively engages the Chicago community through programs, events, and partnerships. It encourages positive youth development, increases opportunities for the youth to participate in recreational and sport programs. Teen Engagement Ambassadors program engages teen’s age’s 
16-19 city wide to assist in by providing strategic program feedback, planning and facilitating teen events, creating recruitment strategies and promote events, and programs. TIP Fest (Teens In The Park Festival) is an annual event the Teen Engagement Unit oversees. T.I.P. (Teens in the Park) Fest is the largest platform for Chicago’s young artists to showcase their talent, connect to resources and celebrate one another's talents. Performers include singers, rappers, dancers, and poets between the ages of 14 and 24. ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ Teen Centers are designed specifically for teens to socialize, 
play a video game or just hang out with their friends in a safe environment. There are 11 teen centers city-wide that are available for teens to connect with friends, be creative, explore their voice, access technology, be themselves, feel comfortable and safe, and do homework after school.

Working in partnership with sister agencies, nonprofits, and community-based organizations, the Teen Engagement Unit administers youth sports and recreation programming throughout the City of Chicago. The Unit partners with Chicago Public Schools to support the CPS SCORE! grammar school sports program. Additionally, free 6-week Summer Sport Camp opportunities are offered at 3 CPS school locations, and exposes youth to traditional and non-traditional sports. In partnership with After School Matters, the unit offers the Sports and Recreation Leadership program which guides teens through 20 weeks of fun and engaging activities that develop important life skills and hands-on experience to prepare them for careers in recreation leadership. In partnership with Chicago Housing Authority, the unit provides summer opportunities for teen residents to work as a Counselor in Training at a local park. In partnership with Chicago Department of Transportation, the unit hires summer staff with bicycle knowledge and experience to be grouped up and ride out to local parks. There, they perform presentations on bicycle safety and awareness to the Summer Day Camp campers. They also teach youth ages 6-12 on how to ride a bicycle with one-on-one lessons called the Children's Learn 2 Ride series.

The ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ is a trusted, community-based resource provider in the health care system. The district strives to be a leader in the City of Chicago by improving the overall health and wellness of communities. The Park programs and facilities provide Chicagoans of all demographics an equitable opportunity to adopt healthy lifestyles through physical activity, nutrition resources, including supplemental meals and nutrition education. The Wellness Department provides programs and services in wellness, fitness and nutrition awareness throughout the district, including operating and maintaining 70 fitness centers. The department also develops citywide program curricula for Out of School Time (OST) programs, fitness-based classes and nutrition education programming. The department promotes and maintains a healthy food environment by managing the ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵDA Food and Nutrition Service Summer Food Service Program, which provides meals to kids participating in summer camps and the After School Supper Program, for youth registered in out of school time programs. Additionally, the Wellness department works to advance District staff in the fitness and nutrition field through continuing education, certifications, trainings and workshops. The department also assists and consults with City of Chicago agencies for Healthy Chicago 2025, Good Food Purchasing Policy, Health and All Policies, and City Obesity Prevention. Working to advance the health of Chicagoans, the department also partners with sister agencies, nonprofits, and community-based 
organization that share the same mission. Parks are a focal point for access to health to reduce chronic disease and increase quality of life. By providing evidence-based programs and services, the ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ aims to educate and empower individuals to make informed decisions about their health, ultimately contributing to a healthier and more resilient community.