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Local youth sports groups report record enrollment and stress background checks as participation surges
Summary
Youth sports providers in Royal Palm Beach reported record participation across baseball, softball, soccer and basketball programs, citing hundreds of new players and growth in volunteer ranks; organizers said enhanced background‑check procedures and law‑enforcement participation help manage safety concerns.
Gary Stelges, president of the Youth Baseball and Softball Association of Royal Palm Beach, told the Recreational Advisory Board on Monday that the league recorded its highest participation ever, with "Most players we've ever had, 510 active total players." Stelges credited recent state and national successes for enrollment growth and said the league now fields 47 recreational teams and a record number of all‑star squads.
Stelges described strong results on the softball side, noting consecutive state championships at age groups and a 2023 national title. He said the program has grown its younger divisions in particular — "we've almost more than doubled" the number of girls participating in recent seasons — and that the league now relies on more than 200 volunteers who have completed required checks.
On safety and…
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