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Local youth sports groups report record enrollment and stress background checks as participation surges
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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 screening, Stelges said the league follows Babe Ruth organization requirements and state rules and supplements those with additional checks. "They do a level 1 background check...but then we also...do the level twos, which is the fingerprinting," he said, adding that finger‑printing turnaround is typically fast and that people are "not allowed to step foot on the field until those are completed." He told the board his program receives system alerts if a volunteer has a new arrest record and that any flagged individuals are removed from participation pending review.
Mel Hasson, president and director of coaching for the Royal Palm Beach Strikers soccer program, said soccer participation has grown steadily: the recreation program reached 720 children this spring and the competitive side has 388 players, for roughly 1,100 participants when combined. Hasson said volunteer recruitment remains difficult but credited community ties and coach development programs — the organization pays for coaching licenses and encourages staff to pursue state and U.S. Soccer training — for sustaining quality.
Claudine Gooden, president of the Royal Palm Beach Stars travel basketball organization, told the board her program has increased roughly 32% year‑over‑year and has expanded its competitive and development tracks. Gooden said partnerships with regional circuits and equipment sponsors have helped create more opportunities for local players and cited plans for future camps and a hoped‑for village gym that would ease current facility constraints.
Rontavious (Ron) Atkins, who represents several provider programs, summarized other offerings — co‑ed youth volleyball, adult basketball, early‑childhood classes and a summer camp running June 8–July 31 — and reported robust pickleball participation. Board staff confirmed the village plans two nights of pickleball and two nights of open gym during the summer, saying construction for a planned rec‑center project will not affect the immediate summer schedule.
Why it matters: The providers’ numbers underscore growing demand for youth and community recreation in Royal Palm Beach and show how screening, volunteer recruitment and facility capacity are immediate operational challenges as programs expand.
What’s next: Several providers invited board members and council to attend season finals and award events; staff and league leaders noted continued coordination will be required as facility projects move ahead and participation climbs.
