Lee's Summit Parks & Recreation News

Lee’s Summit Parks and Recreation (LSPR) has been selected as a finalist for the 2026 National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management, one of the highest distinctions in the field. The award is administered by the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association. It recognizes park and recreation agencies nationwide for excellence in service, innovation, and overall system management. LSPR is one of four agencies named as finalists in Class III, which includes communities with populations between 75,001 and 150,000. Finalists will be evaluated for the Grand Plaque, awarded to one agency in each class during the NRPA Annual Conference, taking place September 29 through October 1, 2026, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Earning a place among the finalists reflects...

  LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. — Lee's Summit Parks and Recreation (LSPR) will officially break ground on its new multi-court sports fieldhouse on Thursday, August 6, at 4:00 p.m. Community members, elected officials, project partners, and media are invited to attend the ceremony celebrating the start of the largest capital project in LSPR's history. The more than 98,000-square-foot fieldhouse will be built on an 8.5-acre site near U.S. Highway 50 and Missouri Route 291.  The facility will feature: Ten regulation basketball courts Fourteen regulation volleyball courts 20 pickleball courts Grab-and-go concessions Meeting and event space for up to 250 people Office space for fieldhouse operations and Parks and Recreation staff "This groundbreaking is an exciting milestone for our community," said Joe Snook, Administrator of...

Update: LSPR is aware of an AI-generated graphic circulating on social media that inaccurately depicts an incident at Summit Waves on July 13. To ensure factual information is available, LSPR is providing this update to Tuesday’s original press release with new information given to us Wednesday by our private security company. They informed LSPR that in response to the altercation that happened at approximately 10:30 p.m. (after Family Fun Night) in the parking lot, one of their private security guards unholstered their firearm in the low ready position as they exited Summit Waves. The private security guard subsequently holstered their firearm as they realized it was unnecessary. The private security company reported there were no indications of any shots fired in relation to this incident. Successful Family Fun Night at Lee’s Summit Parks and...

LEE’S SUMMIT, MO — Runners and walkers are invited to light up the night at the annual Night Flight 5K on Friday, May 29, 2026, at Legacy Park Amphitheater, located at 901 NE Bluestem Dr., Lee’s Summit, MO 64086. The race will begin at 9:00 p.m. Hosted in partnership by Lee’s Summit Medical Center and Lee’s Summit Parks and Recreation, the Night Flight 5K benefits the Legacy for LS Parks Foundation, which supports parks projects throughout Lee’s Summit. Participants of all ages are encouraged to join the nighttime race experience through Legacy Park. Registration is $35 for participants ages 14 and older and $30 for those ages 13 and under. Packet Pick-Up and Registration Packet pick-up will take place at Lee’s Summit Medical Center, located at 2100 SE Blue Parkway, on Thursday, May 28, from 4:00-6:00 p.m. Participants may also...

LEE’S SUMMIT, MO — Lee’s Summit Parks and Recreation (LSPR) has announced the implementation of an Athletic Staff and Volunteer Abuse Prevention Matrix, a structured policy designed to clearly define, address, and prevent abusive behavior toward referees, athletic staff, and volunteers across all sports programs. This program was created in collaboration with Sporting Lee’s Summit, Lee’s Summit Football Association, Lee’s Summit Girls’ Softball Association, and the Lee’s Summit Baseball Association. The matrix establishes a tiered system of consequences for both non-physical and physical misconduct, ensuring consistent enforcement and accountability. It is part of LSPR’s ongoing commitment to providing a safe, respectful, and positive environment for participants, staff, and spectators. “Officials, staff, and...