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Officials keep youth sports fees steady as playoffs and teen pickleball expand
Summary
Commissioners heard athletics updates May 4: postseason playoffs for ages 9+ will begin June 1 in place of department All‑Star tournaments; fall registration opens June 1; the budget plan presently keeps registration fees at current levels, though long‑term funding remains a concern.
Botetourt County Parks and Recreation staff told the commission May 4 that spring athletics saw few cancellations and that the department will run postseason playoff tournaments for ages 9 and up beginning June 1 in lieu of historically supported All‑Star tournaments.
Chris Mundy, recreation coordinator, said the new playoff format replaces department support for end‑of‑season All‑Star tournaments while preserving opportunities for teams to participate in volunteer‑run RAYBA and RAYSA tournaments if they choose. Mundy also reported 17 registrants for the department’s first teen pickleball season; two planned teams (Blue Ridge and Buchanan) had to be combined because only one volunteer coach was available.
Commission discussion focused on registration costs. Dr. Donald Scothorn said the current budget plan keeps youth sports registration fees at current levels and that he expected the final outcome would not exceed the previously discussed “Option B.” Director Victor Morales told the commission he would continue working with the Board of Supervisors to find offsets and cautioned that sustaining programming long term presents funding challenges. Morales said Botetourt’s registration cost‑recovery rate is about 81 percent, compared with a general best‑practice benchmark of about 27 percent.
Danny Agee asked whether staff had surveyed the public about acceptable fee levels; Morales said no public survey had been conducted, though staff collected comparative data from other localities. Mundy said preparations for the fall 2026 youth sports season have begun and registration will open June 1; registration prices will be finalized as part of the county budget process.
Why it matters: changes in fee structure and program format affect families and volunteer organizations that run local youth sports. Commissioners asked for comparisons to other localities and emphasized the need to communicate changes to participants.
Next steps: registration fees remain under consideration as part of the county budget process; department staff will notify teams about postseason playoff logistics and fall registration details.
