Lacrosse and football leaders tell Green parks board they need sustained city support as participation rises

Leaders of Green Lacrosse Club and Green Youth Football briefed the Parks and Recreation Board on Feb. 5 about rising participation, equipment costs and facility needs as Green prepares to open a new community courts facility later this year.

Jeremy Bruich, who identified himself as president of Green Lacrosse Club, said the club offers programming for boys and girls from first grade through 14U, provides scholarships for families in need and relies heavily on volunteer coaches. "A basic starter kit for boys probably runs between $300 to $400," Bruich said, noting equipment and goal nets are significant expenses and that the club depends on city-provided storage and field access.

Bruich also flagged two operational pressures: a shortage of certified officials, which raises per-game costs, and safety concerns. He said the club is paying $65 per official per game this season and that head injuries are the most common serious injury encountered. "At our level we leave helmets for girls to the parents' decision; there is no national mandate yet," Bruich said, describing evolving safety practices.

Green Youth Football President Tim Dodd described Arris Park as the hub of youth football and cited a long partnership with the city. He said the city purchased the land that became Arris Park for "just over $1,600,000" and that the complex's consistent availability makes it a reliable home for youth leagues. He outlined current program structure (flag through early grades, tackle in league play), fundraising activities, equipment replacement cycles and safety measures under consideration, including purchasing "guardian caps" for practice.

Dodd gave year-over-year participation figures and a current-program total: flag cheer rose from 108 to 145, flag football from 143 to 161, tackle cheer from 67 to 84 and tackle football from 142 to 165; speakers said the program had 555 youth in the prior year and expected growth as the city expands. He also said helmet reconditioning costs run about $7,000 annually.

Both presenters thanked city staff for maintenance and capital support. City staff explained routine work — painting lines, core aeration, mowing, restroom maintenance and utilities — and said the parks division supplies paint, field-marking materials and manages press-box access by key-card reader. Staff estimated the city invests more than $60,000 of operating budget specifically in maintaining football and lacrosse fields.

Board members pressed presenters on roster sizes, competitiveness and safety protocols; Bruich described developmental small-field formats (5v5 or 7v7) at the youngest ages and said competitive middle-school teams ideally field about 20 players. Dodd and others also raised parking congestion at Arris Park and repeated a long-standing desire for turf on the main game field; participants offered differing cost signals at the meeting, saying it could be "under $1,000,000" while another estimate cited about $85,900, a discrepancy that was not resolved during the discussion.

Next steps noted by staff: the parks division anticipates sharing more information about the community courts and related programming late in February; the new courts are targeted to open in the fall between October and November, and staff said fee structures for the facility (likely resident and nonresident tiers) remain under development.