The Lawrence City Parks Board voted to approve an agreement with I9 Sports to run youth sports programs at Burns Field this fall.

The I9 Sports representative said the program will offer entry-level sports for ages 3–14 and that the fall flag-football season will run Sept. 6 through Oct. 18 with built-in rainout dates. The presenter said, “we're bringing youth sports to the area,” and described the program as “rec level” and suitable for beginners.

The contract term approved covers a six-week program with a two-week extension allowance for rainouts. The group told the board it plans to store equipment in a small onsite shed, provide certificates of insurance listing the parks department, and charge the city-standard facility fee; the presenter said I9 charges “$65 per field per day or per event” and estimated weekly revenue as “roughly a 100 $200, per week.” The presenter also described regular pricing tiers and discounts: early-bird pricing as low as $134, standard pricing around $154, and late-registration up to $179; the presenter said families who signed up earlier through the city’s summer listing would be honored a $50 rate for the summer transition.

Board members asked about accessibility and affordability. Councilor Liz Mazur, who spoke from the council, and other board members discussed options for getting scholarship information to families, including school distribution channels and the parks department website. The I9 representative said staff can identify registrants who add items to a shopping cart but do not finish registration and that I9 will proactively call such registrants to offer assistance. The presenter also said I9 is a nonprofit and can accept donations to subsidize participation, though the parks board noted the city itself is not a 501(c)(3) and would need to use other mechanisms for direct city-funded scholarships.

The board moved and approved the contract by voice vote; the motion was seconded and passed with all members voting “Aye.” The parks staff said they will receive copies of I9’s program materials and insurance certificate and will work with the city’s IT staff, Roman Cofer, to add program information to the Lawrence parks pages to increase visibility.

The agreement makes I9 Sports the primary scheduled user of Burns Field for the advertised fall dates; parks staff said they currently do not have competing bookings for that period but expect future requests from tackle-football groups. The board asked staff to confirm field availability, finalize insurance language to list the parks department as an additional insured, and share I9’s program packet with all board members.

Outcome: The motion to enter into agreement with I9 Sports for fall 2025 at Burns Field was approved by voice vote.