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New Canaan Athletic Foundation reports $107,600 in player-fee collections and $3 million gift toward Capital Field expansion
Summary
The New Canaan Athletic Foundation reported increased player-fee revenue, enterprise-zone rental receipts, a newly hired executive director and delivery of a $3 million gift toward a $5 million Capital Field turf expansion, with construction timing still subject to weather and grading.
Mike Benevento, chairman of the New Canaan Athletic Foundation, told the meeting the foundation collected $107,600 this year in the player-use fee program and delivered a $3 million gift to the town toward an expanded turf footprint at Capital Field.
Benevento described the foundation’s operations and project work. Under a 2019 memorandum of understanding with the town, the foundation collects a $25 player-use fee from youth sports registrations; he said 50% of the fee is allocated to a turf-replacement endowment at the community foundation and 50% goes to an enhancements fund. "We collected on behalf of the town $107,600," Benevento said, adding that total was up roughly 15% from the prior year after one organization corrected prior underreporting of rosters.
On summer field rentals (the foundation’s so-called enterprise zone, June 15–Aug. 15), Benevento said the group collected $41,513 last year, down about $20,000 from the previous year because a recurring lacrosse tournament did not renew. He said the foundation had hired a new executive director, Madison Strauss, who had already begun coordinating summer bookings.
Benevento said the foundation delivered a $3 million check to the town for the Capital Field expansion, a roughly $5 million project that he described as on budget. He said only minor change orders — "very less than, I mean, less than $50,000 on a $5,000,000 project" — had been added. Frost in the ground delayed grading; Benevento said frost is now out of the ground and that turf delivery is expected the week of the 23rd, with installation requiring roughly 23 days once the grading is complete. He noted the varsity baseball schedule begins around April 14–15 and that the early-season home slate may require adjustment if the field is not ready.
Benevento outlined potential future projects (a field house, additional turfing at Saks, and softball improvements) but said the foundation will focus on completing the current Capital Field work before committing to new major projects. He also reiterated the enterprise-zone rental policy: groups with more than 75% New Canaan participants are not charged a rental fee; outside organizations with fewer than 75% New Canaan players may rent fields for a fee.
Why it matters: The foundation’s fundraising and the $3 million gift materially increase local turf capacity, which foundation leaders and school staff said will ease scheduling pressure for youth and varsity teams and provide additional practice and game space across multiple sports.
