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Years ago, the Jackson Mann Community Center saw “1,200 feet coming through our door every day,” according to Jackson Mann executive director Rosie Hanlon. Then, the schools on the site moved out — the Jackson Mann School closed and the Horace Mann School for Deaf the  moved and the COVID-19 pandemic hit – and the Jackson Mann is still recovering.

The Jackson Mann’s athletics programs, which are a vital part of the community center, are undergoing a process of invigoration. Leading these initiatives is Logan Dupont, the community center’s newly-hired athletics director.

“Bringing Logan in here has been a huge plus,” Hanlon said. “We’ve always had the drive and the vision … it is critical that we have the people power to be able to provide these services.”

Dupont, a Marine Corps veteran from small-town Louisiana, near Baton Rouge, came up north to obtain a bachelor’s degree in sport and fitness administration and management at the University of Massachusetts Boston, graduating in 2026. Dupont came to love the city of Boston and met his fiancée during his undergraduate years, inspiring him to stay in the city.

“I’m very happy here, and I plan on making my life here,” Dupont said.

Dupont lives in Dorchester, but has learned much about the Allston-Brighton area since coming to work at Jackson Mann.

“I love it around here,” Dupont said. “Every neighborhood in Boston is amazing to me. It’s cool to learn every different part.”

Though Dupont said there was nothing urgent he had to change at Jackson Mann upon starting at his new job, he has a vision for where the community center’s future can go.

“We want to see that gym packed every single day,” Dupont said. “We want everything filled to the brim with people smiling, having a great time with their families, with their kids. We’re just trying to add more things to continue to make it better, because nothing’s ever at 100%. We want to take that 99% and make it as close to 100 as possible.”

Dupont’s plans are already getting started. Jackson Mann has already brought in a fencing class — which was sparsely attended on day one, but Dupont hopes to grow — and is partnering with multiple Boston-area athletics organizations in the coming months to bring in more programming.

In November, the Jackson Mann and the Boston Athletic Association are teaming up to create a program called “Mini Marathoners,” in which children aged 7-14 will run the length of a marathon over the course of 12 sessions.

Also in November, the Jackson Mann will be hosting the New England Revolution for a soccer clinic. The community center has hosted professional sports organizations before, including the Boston Bruins, and Dupont “can’t wait to be able to say that I worked with them, and that Jackson Mann has put their name on the map.”

Putting Jackson Mann’s name on the map is another point of concern. The Jackson Mann Council president Kelly McGrath said many Allston-Brighton residents are completely unaware of the Jackson Mann’s programming, and some still do not know the community center is active once again following the COVID-19 pandemic.

“That’s something I’m new to, trying to get the word out on things,” Dupont said. “We have been going around the area, getting our flyers out, showing our face, and saying, ‘Hey, we’re here. Let’s get some things going. Come play basketball. Come play soccer. Come play mahjong on Fridays.’ We have been getting the word out definitely since I’ve been here, and way before that.”

If Jackson Mann grows, some staff members are looking forward to seeing its physical campus grow, too.

“We’ve got 80,000 people, one community center, and this site is holding its own right now,” Hanlon described. “But certainly, we do need to have a really state-of-the-art opportunity for everybody in this community.”

Hanlon said Jackson Mann and the city are working towards building a new location for the community center – which is the only one in the Allston Brighton neighborhood. 

“The community should be able to come in here and have an amazing time,” Dupont said. “Hopefully, in the next couple months, we can make it happen and continue forward for many, many years.”

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Walking Club 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Register Youth Open Gym 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Intro to Piano 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Register (includes Wednesday) Youth Boston Mini Marathoners (aged 7 to 14) 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Youth Intro to Guitar (aged 10 to 15) 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Register (includes Wednesday) Family Recreation Night 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Register Knitting for Beginners 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Register	Fencing 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Register Youth Open Gym 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Spark a Life: Youth Art Program (aged 6 to 12) 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Register Youth Maker Club 4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Youth Music Production (aged 8 to 15) 4:45 p.m. – 5:45 p.m. Register (includes Thursday) Open Gym Basketball 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Register Podcasting 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Register (includes Thursday) Sacred Self: A Journey Within 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Register	Walking Club 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Register Youth Open Gym 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Intro to Piano 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Register (includes Monday) Girls’ Instructional Basketball League (aged 8 to 11) 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Register Children’s (aged 7 to 14) Boston Mini Marathoners 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Register Youth Intro to Guitar (aged 10 to 15) 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Register (includes Monday)	Youth Open Gym 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Exercise and Bingo! 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Register Youth Maker Design Challenges 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Youth Music Production (aged 8 to 15)4:45 p.m. – 5:45 p.m. Register (includes Tuesday) Boys’ Instructional Basketball League (aged 8 to 11) 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Register Podcasting 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Register (includes Tuesday)	Youth Open Gym 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Peewee Futsal (aged 7 to 14) 5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Register Youth Futsal (aged 12 to 17) 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Register