PROVO — For some parents, sending their kids off on Monday nights to participate in city basketball, soccer, baseball or softball leagues conflicts with one of their religious mandates.
And the conflict has recreation directors in some of Utah's smaller cities feeling a little heat. The issue was discussed last month when recreation directors from throughout Utah gathered for their annual meetings in St. George.
"We've had people for years asking us not to hold practices or games on Monday nights," said American Fork recreation director Steve Bailey.
Monday evening is the time that members of Utah's predominant religion, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, are encouraged to reserve for "family home evening" — a night of family-oriented activities and lessons. Some parents say it's difficult meeting this religious directive when leagues are scheduling games or coaches are holding practices on those nights.
Recreation directors, however, say it's already a challenge finding enough time and diamond, field and gymnasium space to accommodate the hundreds who participate in city sports leagues. Eliminating Monday night play and practice time would require cities to limit the number of participants.
"We'd really be hurting if we had to take out Monday nights," Spanish Fork recreation director Jack Swenson said.
Besides the impact no-Monday-night policies would have on scheduling, many believe such policies would also be illegal and divide communities.
"If a city adopted such a policy and we received a complaint, we would investigate to determine if it violated the First Amendment and the separation of church and state," said Carol Gnade, executive director of the Salt Lake Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.
In 1998 Centerville Mayor Frank Hirschi sought to prohibit Monday night recreation programs after being encouraged to do so by his local ecclesiastical leaders. The proposal was shot down, however, by City Council members and city recreation officials. The ACLU sent Hirschi a letter cautioning him against mixing his religious views with his official duties.
Five years ago the national press came to town when former Mapleton Mayor Richard Maxfield issued a similar directive. The mayor's order was overturned a few weeks later by the Mapleton City Council, however, when concerns were raised about scheduling, the legality of the directive and the negative publicity it was bringing the city.
A Deseret News poll conducted a few months later indicated about 70 percent of Utah County residents opposed cities adopting no-Monday-night play policies.
Despite failed efforts in the past to push forward no-Monday-night play policies, requests to curtail Monday night sports programs have increased since LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley last fall re-emphasized in a letter to church members worldwide to reserve Monday nights for Family Home Evening.
In recreational management classes at Brigham Young University students are told the Monday night issue is an ethical dilemma they might face if after graduation they find a job in Utah. Brian Hill, associate professor at BYU, says the consensus of his students is that decisions regarding recreational programs should be determined by a community's need for the services.
"Communities are often caught in a conflict of offering recreational programs during a time that some want set aside for religious focus," Hill said. "It's a difficult dilemma for recreation directors as professionals to be in."
In American Fork, Bailey, recognizing that parents of most participants in his programs are LDS and support the concept, recently discussed the issue with his staff and city leaders. Coaches in several of the city's leagues also discussed whether they could operate a season without scheduling games or practices on Monday nights.
They decided it couldn't be done without harming the programs. Bailey said he'd have to eliminate practices and many of the adult leagues.
"It would drastically affect and impact our programs," he said.
Springville recreation officials, approached recently by a group seeking dark Mondays in the recreation program, came to the same conclusion and responded the same way.
Kaysville recreation director Mike Gray said he gets a handful of requests each year to eliminate Monday night practice and play, but not enough to seriously consider the issue.
"For the most part people feel like a night at the ballpark is a pretty good family activity," he said.
The Monday night issue is more prevalent in the state's bedroom communities than the larger cities. Darin Oviatt, president of Orem's youth baseball leagues, said most parents understand the city is already pressed for playing fields.
"I think they know if we were to lose a night that it would just create a heavier burden for us," Oviatt said.
City recreation directors in Salt Lake County says it's not an issue.
"I've been here 16 years and no one has ever brought it up," said Murray recreation director Cory Plant.
Provo parks and recreation director Roger Thomas said he gets more requests to keep Saturdays free. Curtailing Monday night slots would definitely increase the need to hold more Saturday events.
Ironically, one reason city programs are so pressed is they compete for playing space with school and church programs. In some cases Monday nights are the only time when fields and gymnasiums are free for city use. "We have to use those facilities when they are available," Thomas said.
Most recreation departments have chosen to deal with the Monday night conflict in a similar way — reminding coaches to be respectful and accommodating to players' personal responsibilities, and not to discipline players who might miss Monday night games or practices for religious or family reasons.
"We've told our coaches to be sensitive to the desires of the families and to be flexible on Monday nights," Bailey said.
You can reach Jim Rayburn by e-mail at jimr@desnews.com.