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New Steens Sports Complex board seeks grants and field upgrades to revive tournaments
Summary
New leadership at Steens Sports Complex told Klamath County commissioners Jan. 29 the board is pursuing grant funding, field renovations and program development to restore tournaments and make the complex financially sustainable.
Dana Ouellette, the newly elected president of the Steens Sports Complex (also known as Klamath County Youth Sports Complex), updated the Klamath County Board of Commissioners at a Jan. 29 work session on the board’s plans to stabilize and expand the facility’s operations.
"We're coming to you today just to let you know that the Sports Complex is under new leadership," Ouellette said, describing a nearly entirely new volunteer board and renewed focus on revenue-generating programming and facility repairs.
Ouellette said the board has hired a grant writer, is finishing ARPA-funded projects and aims to secure a minimum of $100,000 in grant funding this year. She proposed allocating $30,000 for immediate field improvements (with field 2 singled out for excavation and drainage work) and $20,000 for new equipment. The board also hopes to develop a master plan to pursue larger federal funding.
She described tournaments as the complex’s primary revenue driver: the board plans to host the Harold Howard tournament in May, which drew about 60 teams last year, and said recent tournaments can generate significant local revenue. The board estimates some weekends could yield roughly $7,000 for the park and reported that a single prior tournament generated about $11,000 after expenses. The complex also operates batting cages (with memberships and hourly rentals), winter academies and small leagues to build steady monthly income.
Ouellette said field 2 has been unplayable for an estimated three to four years and needs a "complete overhaul with excavation" and replanting. She said the board is seeking excavation contractors during off months (January–February) to complete work before a May tournament.
The board raised operational challenges including reliance on volunteers, lack of a permanent paid manager, outdated website and social-media account access issues. Ouellette said Discover Klamath previously ran the park website and that the new board had to recover passwords and update content.
Commissioners voiced support and offered to facilitate county conversations. One commissioner said, "If there's anything I can do to help facilitate conversations, talk to people, please reach out," and the board asked staff to stay engaged on potential county assistance.
No formal county action was taken. The sports complex board said it will continue pursuing grant awards, field excavation and program development and asked for ongoing county coordination as it implements near-term repairs and schedules tournaments.
