Rec Department: Online Registration Was a Success

The inaugural year of online registration for the summer programs was a success. Over 500 families registered a total of 1,546 kids using the Westborough Recreation website.

“I’m old school,” said Frank DeSiata, director. “I’ve been here 34 years. I missed the interaction with people. I really liked that.”

Throughout his time with the department, DeSiata has been part of a spring ritual that included in the wee hours of the morning, and sometimes even the night before, with lawn chairs and blankets. People would line the block in snow, rain and cold, hoping to get first dibs at affordable summer programs for their children.

When the doors to would open, families would get a numbered index cards and stream into a crowded auditorium to wait for what would sometimes be hours until their number was called. From there, registration continued in an upstairs room lined with tables and class registrations.

That scenario, played out for generations, is now gone.

WestboroRec.com posted all class listings and descriptions days ahead of registration. At 8 a.m. on Saturday, March 31, its cyber doors opened and families streamed online, completing registrations and payments in a matter of minutes.

“Overall, it was certainly what people were looking for,” said DeSiata. “Ninety-nine percent registered online. No long lines. No standing out in the cold.”

“There are a few programs that are filled: horse camp, the older kids’ TV production class and the first week of boys’ basketball,” said administrative assistant in the department. “Everything else is open.”

“We had five or six families come in person. Mostly to clear up an issue,” DeSiata said. “It wasn’t because of a lack of a computer. It seems everyone has access to a computer.”

For information on the summer recreation programs, visit the website or call 508-366-3066.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date on the latest Westborough news, or simply hit the "like" button at the top of this page. If you'd like to receive the Westborough Patch newsletter with our top stories, click here.