Alex Enns, Comm Rec Coordinator
Alex Enns brings a wealth of experience into his job as the recently hired Community Recreation Coodinator.
Mr. Enns shares the job with Khristin Wagner who was also hired as Com Rec Coordinator in mid-August.
“We felt very lucky to have individuals with different skills,” Matt Hamilton, Manager of Com Rec, said in a telephone interview.
“We now have two coordinators with different but complementary skills. We’ll be able to work on adjusting the program to meet the needs of our clients and adjusting them when we need to.”
He also stated that he’s excited to see what Mr. Enns will do with Com Rec’s STAR program and other programs for families. STAR is the acronym for Strength Through Active Recreation, a Canada wide program for children of military families who are posted across the country frequently.
Mr. Enns’ previous job was as the Assistant Operations Coordinator at the University of Manitoba’s “Mini U” program for children and youth. He noted that he started working with the university’s youth programs at age 17.
“My main role there was to be in charge of operational and procedural things, as well as other specific areas I oversaw were special operations and inclusion,” he said.
“I was responsible for overseeing and training all of our inclusion support leaders. They were the people who worked with children of different levels of ability.”
Mr. Enns has a Bachelor in Kinesiology Degree with a Major in Athletic Therapy. He certified as an Athletic Therapist this past July.
“I’m an Athletic Therapist by training and trade and found a route into recreation management and training through opportunities that have presented themselves,” he said.
“After graduating, it was something I wanted to pursue and see how far I could take it.
There’s still a whole lot I wanted to learn in this realm, and I wanted to take a break from formal education.
“When I saw this opportunity pop up, it seemed very interesting. Now that I’m here, it’s working out really nicely where Khristin is overseeing mainly the adult programs, I’m overseeing the children’s programming. That’s really good because that’s my area of expertise. That’s what I’m good at.”
He also noted that he still does a lot of work on the weekend as an athletic therapist working with some amateur football teams in the city.
“What I’m doing doesn’t seem like work because I enjoy it so much,” Mr. Enns, who was born and raised in Morris, Manitoba, offered with a smile.
“I really love it here so far. It’s a very similar vibe to working at Mini-U. I feel like part of a team. That’s really nice. It’s close-knit.”
He added that the STAR program, which began on September 24, will run every Saturday for two hours.
“It’s a chance for children of military families to come and meet other children whose families have also had to relocate,” he said.