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Local leagues tell Coral Springs commission fee increases risk pricing families out
Summary
League leaders and volunteers told the commission that recent and proposed recreation fee increases, scholarship funding limits and field allocation changes threaten participation; commissioners agreed to pause immediate fee increases for the basketball season and to schedule open coalition meetings and a January policy review.
Multiple representatives of Coral Springs youth and amateur sports groups urged the city commission on Aug. 5 to pause or revisit recently approved user-fee changes and to restore transparent collaboration between parks staff and nonprofit leagues.
Denise Fategate, president of Coral Springs Youth Soccer, told the commission her organization — a 501(c)(3) serving about 2,000 children — feels treated as subordinate to Parks & Rec, was included in an RFP process they believe inappropriate, and lacks communications such as a sports coalition meeting (no meeting since last October). "We respectfully ask for transparency, collaboration, mutual respect, and recognition that Coral Springs youth soccer is an independent nonprofit partner, not a city department," she said.
League representatives cited sharply higher registration costs being discussed at the department level (one speaker said a per-player registration fee might move from $14 to $50) and said scholarship pools are insufficient to protect low‑income families — a resident said available scholarship funds amount to $25,000, covering roughly 125 kids at a $200 maximum award. Robert Tatra, representing a large basketball club with 1,800–2,000 annual registrations, said a jump from $14 to $50 would represent an estimated $65,000–$70,000 burden and could price out many families.
Commissioners responded with plans to increase transparency and reset the sports-coalition process. The city manager and staff committed to advertise an open sports-coalition meeting, bring the commission into those sessions if requested, and to defer any immediate fee changes affecting the current basketball season. Commissioner Simmons asked to participate in coalition meetings to hear direct accounts and stressed the need to rebuild trust between volunteers and Parks staff.
The commission directed staff to prepare materials and a public workshop to review registration-fee justifications, background-check costs for volunteers, scholarship funding mechanics, and field allocation changes, with a January follow-up on sports policy.
