By Beverly F. Smith
In a time when Washington, D.C.’s Ward 7 faced some of its toughest challenges, one recreation center staff member quietly became a lifeline for hundreds of young people searching for safety, guidance and hope.
Woody Ward was a mentor, protector and consistent presence for young people during the 1980s and 1990s, when many communities across Southeast D.C. were grappling with rising violence, poverty, and limited opportunities for youth. Raymond Beale, who grew up going to the recreation center during that era, said it was a place where people gathered to survive, to learn and to be seen.
“Mr. Ward was a father figure for a lot of kids who didn’t have a father figure around. I know because he was someone that I looked up to during my teenage years to see how a man was supposed to behave,” Beale said.
Ward’s approach was simple, but powerful. Over his 47-year career at DC Parks and Recreation, he showed up and built meaningful relationships with the youth who walked through those doors.
“He made sure we had access to all sports. Whether by organizing sports, keeping the gym open past normal hours, or simply listening, he created an environment where structure and compassion worked hand in hand,” said Coach O, who grew up in the area while Ward worked at the rec center. “He was definitely a pillar in the community and I am glad they renamed the rec to honor him.”
Community advocate Ebbon A. Allen grew up blocks away from the recreation center, where he spent his youth. After graduating from Morehouse College, he returned to work under Ward’s leadership, coaching the Benning Park basketball team.
“When I asked Mr. Ward if I could start a boys basketball team, he said I had to be dedicated and consistent,” Allen recalled. “He held me accountable and helped me wear many hats outside of coaching basketball at Benning Park Recreation Center. I later found out he was also the director of Benning Terrace Recreation Center, where he worked with my older brother, ‘Squirt,’ and supported his basketball career.”
Ward was born in Washington, Pennsylvania, and moved to the District in the early 1960s, according to a 2019 ANC 7E recommendation to rename the Benning Park Recreation Center after him. In 1964, he graduated from Maryland Eastern Shore with a Bachelor of Arts in Recreation in order to pursue his love for sports and recreation and was accepted to play for the Buffalo Bills the following year. Ward left the NFL when he was injured in 1966, but his love of sports persisted through his work with DCPR’s youth sports programs, including the Woody Ward Basketball League.
“Due to his many years of outstanding and dedicated community service and interaction, he was a well known and highly respected member of the Benning Park community,” the ANC 7E resolution reads.
In 2019, Benning Park Recreation Center was officially renamed the Woody Ward Recreation Center to honor his decades of quiet, transformative work.
Allen, who became the ANC for 7E03, led efforts to rename the rec center in Ward’s honor. He said today, many young people walk into the building without knowing the story behind its namesake.
“It was important that his name be on that building. People need to know who he was and what he did for this community,” Allen said. “There’s a whole new generation that doesn’t know. But they’re benefiting from what he built, even if they don’t realize it.”
Former ANC 7E Chairman Delia Houseal, who also played a role in drafting the resolution, said that it was an honor to present the request and that “Councilmember Gray and his team were eager to put forth the resolution to have the name changed.”
Ward died in 2017, but his legacy lives on through youth and local organizations that carry forward his mission. Ward gave the nonprofit I founded, Momma’s Safe Haven, its first opportunity to host a Black history talent show — an event that continues to this day. In February, we hosted “Momma’s Safe Haven’s 13th Annual Black History Talent Show,” where Marque Harris, a 12-year-old Benning Park resident, said that he was honored to portray Mr. Ward.
“Ward’s legacy showed that you can do anything you put your mind to,” Marque said.
Many of the youth Ward mentored have gone on to become leaders, parents, and community advocates — carrying forward the same values of guidance, accountability and care. Today, as communities across D.C. continue to confront challenges such as youth violence, mental health struggles, and economic hardship, the model that Woody Ward embodied remains as relevant as ever.
“He knew us by name. He knew our families. He paid attention,” Allen recalled. “That’s what made the difference.”
Ward’s legacy reflects what communities still need: relationships, consistency, and presence. For those who walk through the doors of Woody Ward Recreation Center today, his impact may not always be visible — but it is there. And for those who remember, it is undeniable.
“Woody Ward changed lives,” said Allen. “And his legacy is still shaping this community today.”
This article was created as part of the Community Journalism Program operated by Humanities DC.
