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Revisit Sports Policy

Parks and Recreation

Time Status:

Budget Status:

Percent Complete: 100%

Start Date: 10/01/2021

End Date: 12/31/2021

Sports and physical activity are a way of life for many residents here in Coral Springs, serving over 12,000 registered participants annually. Change is constant within the youth and adult world of sports, and we must respond and pivot to the current and future trends. With the rise of travel ball for most sports, the City needs to be more transparent with our recognized programs and solve their struggles year after year. With the new sports like Pickleball and Lacrosse’s resurgence, staff will evaluate if we offer the right programs for the community’s annual needs. Staff meets four times a year with the Sports Coalition Group and will use this platform to discuss future changes to the policy that will benefit each recognized program’s overall operations and residents of Coral Springs.

Sports policy to be presented to the Commission for a first and second hearing in December.

Pending final City Commission approval the changes to the sports policy will include the following:

The City’s Sports Policy was officially put into effect for the first time on January 1, 2001 and was most recently updated in September 2019.

The attached Sports Policy is reformatted for ease of use and includes important changes that address current needs as well as incorporating recent direction from the Commission. These changes include:

Recognized Groups:
- Adding Travel Softball, ages 8 to 18
- Volleyball: Sand Turtles volleyball, ages 6 to 18
- Travel Sports will have a 50/50 resident/non-resident team member ratio
Sports seasons and playing dates have been changed to reflect current league play
Tournaments:
- adding language that they can be used as fundraisers for host organizations
- clarifying scheduling requirements
- adding specific field rental fee discounts based on size of tournament
Rental permits shall be paid within 48 hours of the submittal of permit application
Clarifying that open play is only for non-organized resident groups of twelve or less which can use the open play fields.
Removing language in Article IX regarding advertising rentals on scoreboards
Clarifying that persons must be 16 or older to rent a batting cage; anyone younger must be accompanied by an adult.

The following new items are being added:

Establishing the City Manager’s authority to:
- Alter the Sports Policy for a designated timeframe to address emerging issues
- Unrecognize a sports group for specific reasons including violation of the Sports Policy
Establishing fines and consequences of violations of the Sports Policy
Ethics:
- There shall not be any personal or financial gain for the board members or their family members of the recognized organizations.
- Any recognized program Board member may not serve on any other Board, or run any outside program within the City, that conflicts with a City’s recognized program.
- The City reserves the right to withdraw recognition of any recognized sports group if it determines that the residents of the City are not properly being served by the group or the group is not adhering to this Policy. The decision to withdraw recognition of a recognized sports group shall be determined by the City Manager or the City Commission.