Local Impact; National Issues: How Eugene Civic Alliance and KIDSPORTS Are Addressing Access to Youth Sports in Partnership With Sports Facilities Management (SFM)

Eugene Civic Alliance (ECA) is constructing a new community venue to expand access to sports and recreation in Eugene, OR. The facility, known as Civic Park, will be built on a 10-acre site in the heart of Eugene that was home to historic Civic Stadium. The new venue will provide a permanent home for local youth sports nonprofit KIDSPORTS (KS). Civic Park will host programs and events for people of all ages to enjoy as both athletes and fans. Featured users will include local USL League 2 soccer team, Lane United FC, recreational sports leagues for youth and adults, as well as local and regional tournaments and events. Eugene Civic Alliance and KIDSPORTS (KS) have selected Sports Facilities Management (SFM) as development and operational partner for the Civic Park project.

For more than 60 years, KS has provided access to high quality sports programming for youth in the Eugene, OR area without owning its own facility. Civic Park will give KS the opportunity to expand its current services for the community. Together, ECA and KS will develop the facility into a hub for youth sports, adult recreation and community events. As important, the sports facility will allow Eugene Civic Alliance and KS to address some of the most important issues impacting youth sports nationwide.

“Serving our community by providing quality sports and recreation programs remains our driver for this project,” says Nancy Webber, Co-Executive Director of ECA. “The partnership with KIDSPORTS is crucial to fulfill our mission of reimagining what the original park was built for – a safe, fun place for people to gather for healthy activity. Together with the support of our community, we hope to address inequity in sports participation and become aligned with the Aspen Institute’s Project Play initiative for increased youth sports participation across the US.”

ECA broke ground on Civic Park in October of last year. The facility is on-track to open in April 2020. Civic Park will stand on the former site of Civic Stadium, a beloved wooden baseball stadium destroyed by fire in 2015. The park will feature a new outdoor turf field and the KS Fieldhouse, with 4 indoor courts and 2 outdoor activity courts.

“We were very pleased to find Sports Facilities Management, an Aspen Institute Partner, and a highly recommended leader in the industry,” Webber remarked. “This park means a lot to our community, and we knew we needed an expert in this field to establish excellence in operations. This partnership will only enhance the future success of Civic Park.”

KS Executive Director, Bev Smith added, “We are excited to work with the team at SFM and know that this partnership will ensure our vision comes to life for kids in Eugene and surrounding communities.”

Jason Clement, Founder and CEO of SFM commented, “These organizations have been serving Eugene in extraordinary ways for years. We are honored to partner with Nancy, Bev, and the entire community to provide the very best experience for Eugene residents at this historic site. We look forward to building the infrastructure and approach to maximize the impact of a positive sport experience that can be accessed by as many families as possible.”

Civic Park represents an evolution in community recreation centers. Its attention to detail and thoughtful design was created by Robertson Sherwood Architects and Skylab Architecture, designer of the new Serena Williams Building at Nike’s World Headquarters in Beaverton, OR. The innovation continues with the excellence in programming that KS is known for. SFM will provide development services through Grand Opening of the Sports Park in April 2020. To learn more about SFM, visit: www.sportadvisory.com.

About The Sports Facilities Companies

The Sports Facilities Companies (SFC) are the Nation’s leading resources for the management and development of sports, recreation, wellness, and events facilities. As a turn-key solution for community leaders and developers alike, SFC services span the gamut of sports and recreation needs from sports tourism & recreation master planning, program planning, and feasibility through professional facility management services. Our 50+ managed venues and 2500+ team members, represented by the SF Network, welcome more than 25 million guest visits and produce over $500 million in economic impact each year. To learn more, please visit SportsFacilities.com and theSFnetwork.com.