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Parks staff report growing youth programs and wide facility use across Phoenix
Summary
Parks staff told the board the department runs year-round youth sports for ages 3–17 with more than 22,000 participants annually and described program-by-program participation and complex-level usage that support tournaments and community leagues.
Parks department staff on Monday gave the Phoenix Parks and Recreation Board an overview of youth sports programming and the facilities that host them, saying the system serves children from ages 3 through 17 and provides year‑round opportunities.
Downtown deputy director Tony Selenas said the department operates more than 80 city soccer programs serving about 2,000 participants annually and roughly 35 flag‑football programs serving about 200 young players, with notable increases in girls’ participation. He said the city operates more than 40 youth baseball programs (more than 600 participants last year), 60+ youth volleyball programs (about 400 participants), and golf offerings across seven city courses (reported at more than 14,000 participants annually). The Junior Suns basketball partnership runs more than 100 programs and served roughly 4,000 participants last year, and staff pointed to smaller but growing offerings such as ball hockey, karate and esports (about 200 players per season).
“These programs are offered year‑round so families have access to recreation no matter the season,” Selenas said.
Special‑operations staff described major complexes that support leagues and tournaments. The Rose Matford Sports Complex was presented as a large hub that draws players and spectators for local and national events; staff said Desert West hosts tournaments that can attract roughly 4,000 participants and spectators and highlighted Reach 11, a roughly 1,500‑acre recreation area managed under a federal land‑use agreement that includes fields, trails and a horse park.
Board members asked how program data are tracked and whether youth‑sports survey results will be incorporated into the upcoming parks master plan. Staff said parent surveys are distributed after each league and that master‑plan survey results will be available this fall; they also noted the department uses ActiveNet to track registrations and reported that, including external groups that rent city facilities, more than 60,000 participants used city facilities in the most recent counts.
Why it matters: Board members said the mix of year‑round programming and large complexes helps the city host tournaments that bring visitors and support neighborhood access to recreation. Staff highlighted trends the board is watching—including growth in girls’ flag football, rising interest in pickleball, and expanding esports offerings—that could affect future facility and program planning.
Next steps: Staff will share master‑plan survey results later this fall and continue to provide seasonal registration and participation reports to the board.
