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New Haven workshop hears calls for youth sports commission as coaches cite aging fields, budget and access barriers
Summary
At a March 11 Youth Services Committee workshop, city staff described a slimmed-down recreation workforce and coaches urged creation of a youth sports commission, better access to school gyms and targeted grants; speakers linked quality after-school sports to youth safety and equity.
New Haven’s Youth Services Committee convened a workshop on March 11 to gather community input on improving youth sports and to explore creating a formal youth sports commission, the agenda item LM2025-0623 shows. City staff reviewed decades of recreation programming and coaches, volunteers and residents urged urgent action on facilities, funding and red tape.
A longtime community coach who spoke at length said the city is "losing the battle for equity," arguing that suburban towns provide modern fields and reliable transportation while many New Haven youths play on aging, unlit facilities and lack ways to get to practices. The speaker proposed three immediate steps: establish a youth sports commission to coordinate infrastructure and transportation, build public–private partnerships to raise funds for grassroots groups, and launch a city-run K–8 recreational league to increase access.
Dr. Williams,…
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