7.1 PRSR 03-08-2023 - Laserfiche WebLink

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7 ELK RIVER PARKS & RECREATION THE STATE OF YOUTH ATHLETICS Nationally, youth athletics is changing dramatically. From spending to specialization, safety to expectations, the standards that facilities and associations are being held to keep rising. SPENDING Youth sports has become big business. Between equipment and fees, many families can expect to spend at least $500 per athlete, per season. At higher levels of competition, such as traveling and club, that price tag can easily reach into the thousands of dollars. Scholarships, equipment swaps, and other programs may help blunt that cost for some families, but in general youth sports represent a real fi nancial commitment. Spending on youth sports has risen approximately 55% from 2010 to 2017 and represented about $19 billion in spending annually in the US before the pandemic. By population, this means that Minnesotans spend more than $325 million per year on youth sports. This trend does not show signs of slowing down and spending is expected to continue to grow. One of the reasons that traveling and club sports become more expensive so quickly is participation in tournaments. Tournament registration fees, gas, food, and lodging all get added to team fees and equipment spending. Many Cities have recognized the value of youth athletics and see it as an economic development opportunity. Elite facilities draw families to a community to live and work. They also bring in outside spending through games and tournaments. The Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission (MASC) is a statewide group that has economic development as their primary purpose. MASC operates facilities across the state, including the National Sports Center in Blaine, plus 10 other facilities that bring tourism dollars to the state. A 2018 study found visitors to MASC facilities spent $76.6 Million that year alone. Elk River has developed a great facility for hosting baseball/softball tournaments in the Youth Athletic Complex. One issue from an economic development perspective is the location of the complex, relative to the commercial nodes in Elk River (visitors coming from the metro are more likely to stop in Ramsey or Otsego), and a lack of lodging options locally to help keep dollars in the community. The other facilities in Elk River are better positioned to capture food, drink, and gas spending. Due to the lack of fi elds in one location, there is not currently a great spot to host larger tournaments for lacrosse, football, or soccer. SPECIALIZATION More and more athletes are opting to specialize in specifi c sports. This may be due to really loving a particular sport, feeling pressure from coaches or parents to participate in off -season training or second seasons, or the perception that specialization will allow them to get better at sport specifi c skills. While research is showing benefi ts to cross training, trends still show specialization occurring more and more. The implications of this for facilities are longer/more seasons for specifi c sports and demand for specialized training facilities and coaches. The City of Elk River has seen pressure for early and late season use on fi elds. Additionally, some of the diamonds are striped to accommodate other sports that use fi elds in the fall. This demand makes it more challenging for maintenance, resting fi elds, and protecting them when they are vulnerable during freeze/thaw cycles or after weather events. The recent addition of turf at the Furniture and Things Community Event Center has started to relieve some of the pressure, particularly after weather events. “Spending on youth sports has risen approximately 55% from 2010 to 2017 and represented about $19 billion in spending annually in the US before the pandemic. By population, this means that Minnesotans spend more than $325 million per year on youth sports”. 55% 2010 2017