To: Sarasota County Commissioners and Parks & Recreation Department

We, the undersigned residents, parents, coaches, and supporters of youth baseball in Sarasota County, respectfully request the county to invest in the construction of additional high school regulation-size baseball fields to meet the growing demand for field space.

The Need for More Baseball Fields

Sarasota Little League is the largest youth sports organization in the county with over 900 players between fall and spring seasons. During these formative years, kids learn not only about baseball, but about teamwork, about winning and losing with grace, and about the gift of play. Currently, many of these young players stop playing after their League Age 12 season.

Why? Because right now, there are not enough high school regulation-size baseball fields in Sarasota County. Instead of cooperating to create opportunities for these adolescent players, recreational leagues, school teams, and travel baseball teams compete against one another for limited field availability. Due to the shortage of available fields, teams face difficulty scheduling practices, games, and tournaments, leading to overcrowded conditions and limiting opportunities for young athletes to develop their skills. At a time when players could be encouraged to grow and develop their skills on regulation baseball fields, they step away from the game entirely.

Benefits of Additional Fields

Increased Access for Youth Players: More fields would allow more kids to play baseball, reducing waitlists, and ensuring all teams have adequate practice and game time.

Support for Local Recreation and Travel Leagues: Recreational leagues and travel baseball organizations struggle to secure field rentals due to limited availability. Additional fields would provide more opportunities for these programs to thrive. Sarasota Little League in particular has struggled to grow their Juniors and Seniors program without access to regulation fields.

Economic Impact: More fields mean the ability to host more tournaments, which would attract teams from surrounding areas, boosting local businesses, hotels, and restaurants. Certain complexes around Florida become well known for their tournaments specifically because they have the ability to host big tournaments that draw in teams from around the state.

Community Growth & Development: Investing in youth sports fosters a sense of community, promotes healthy lifestyles, and provides structured activities for young athletes. These young men and women are our future teachers and doctors and civil servants and more. We should be always looking to increase opportunities to invest in our kids as they grow into the men and women who will shape our community for years to come.

Our Request

We urge Sarasota County to allocate resources toward the development of additional high school regulation-size baseball fields. We request that the county conduct a feasibility study to identify suitable locations in the central Sarasota area, funding opportunities, and a timeline for construction.

By signing this petition, we express our strong support for expanding baseball field availability in Sarasota County and ensuring that youth baseball players have the facilities they need not only to play baseball, but to grow as men and women of character.

Sincerely,

Residents of Sarasota County