If I told you that it is harder to rent a field than to get a reservation at one of New York City’s best restaurants would you believe it? This has become the reality of youth sports organizations across the state, and especially in Long Island.
With over 500,000 children living in Long Island, it has become one of the hottest spots for youth sports and developing athletes in the country. Within the last decade, over thirty athletes from Long Island have signed a professional contract spanning across several professional leagues like the NBA, NFL, MLB, MLS, and the WNBA. This includes players like NBA star Tobias Harris, Mets pitcher Steven Matz, USA Women’s all-star Allie Long, and NHL defensemen Charlie McAvoy.
As a result of the high youth sports participation, Long Island drastically lacks the necessary fields and facilities for youth sports organizations, and they’re left to travel far distances and even out-of-state to practice and compete in tournaments. According to Mike Winkoff, the CEO of FLG Lacrosse which is based out of Long Island, “Due to lack of facilities on Long Island, Long Islanders are forced to travel to other states like New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware & Maryland to participate in large scale tournaments which can be exhausting for parents, players, and coaches. Expanding field space to host large scale events on Long Island would bring revenue to the local economy and make it easier on all parties involved.”
Since the coronavirus hit in March, the issue of field space has only been exacerbated. Colleges and high schools, which make up a significant portion of Long Island field space, have been forced to keep their fields shut due to school closures and COVID liability.
Those who are most affected by these closures and the lack of field supply are the children who come from disadvantaged backgrounds because many public programs have been halted and organizations that charge the highest fees are the ones who can afford the available field space.
Agape Community Sports Services, who recently announced their partnership with Prospect Sports Partners at DestinationKP, is one of the organizations focused on expanding field space, specifically for disadvantaged children. Agape Community Sports Services will be in charge of running the sports park at DestinationKP, located in Kings Park, Long Island, which will feature 12 outdoor fields and a 65,000 sqft indoor sports building. Matthew Starr, vice president at Agape Community Sports Services, said, “The sports complex and programs we are developing at DestinationKP will make sure that all children have an opportunity to participate in sports close to home.”
The demand for fields is not only limited to Long Island but exists throughout the United States. Developers around the country see the lack of fields as an opportunity to support local community activities while also generating a profit. Austin based developer, Ari Rastegar plans on building a similar sports complex at his 300-acre mixed-use development in Kyle, Texas – a suburb 30-minutes outside Austin. Rastegar stated, “As a resident, business leader, and parent in Austin, I am deeply committed to supporting the great city of Austin at the most important and foundational level – youth development. Building field space into the communities our real estate company is already developing only expands upon that mission and the support of our partners at FC Westlake.”
The private youth sports industry continues to expand rapidly and is poised to grow to over $77.6 Billion by 2026. The growth of the industry has swiftly surpassed the number of fields and facilities accessible to the millions of players, parents, and coaches. This means that fields will continue to be a hot commodity in municipalities across the country, and we should expect to see a number of new projects popping up to address this issue.
(Syndicated press content is neither written, edited or endorsed by ED Times)
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