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$7M fields to help with waitlists for kids sports in this part of Pierce County

Construction is underway on two artificial turf fields at the future Gig Harbor Sports Complex, another step forward in a massive project to address the demand from youth sports for lit turf fields in Gig Harbor. Phase 1A of the Gig Harbor Sports Complex will add two synthetic turf fields, field lighting and 100 parking […]

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Construction is underway on two artificial turf fields at the future Gig Harbor Sports Complex, another step forward in a massive project to address the demand from youth sports for lit turf fields in Gig Harbor.

Phase 1A of the Gig Harbor Sports Complex will add two synthetic turf fields, field lighting and 100 parking stalls next to the existing Tom Taylor Family YMCA, according to the YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties website and a 2021 press release.

A multi-year fundraising campaign for the project is nearing the finish line: Donations stood at $6.9 million Thursday, only about $100,000 short of the $7 million target, according to YMCA spokesperson Jyot Sandhu. That total includes about $1 million expected from the state capital budget, which awaits the governor’s signature by May 17, and $2.3 million from the city of Gig Harbor.

The YMCA is still asking for donations, and is offering inscribed bricks to recognize donors of $250, $500 and $1,000 amounts, according to the YMCA website.

The groundbreaking ceremony at the Tom Taylor YMCA was at 1 p.m. on May 2.

Sports fields funded with YMCA, city and state contributions

The minimum cost for the fields was originally estimated at $3.85 million, to be funded mostly by the YMCA except for a $350,000 grant from the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office, according to the original lease agreement between the city and YMCA signed in May 2021. An amended lease signed and approved by the city council in March of this year indicated that the estimated minimum cost had grown to $7 million, and the city committed to providing $2.3 million of that total.

$2 million of the city’s contributions would come from the Hospital Benefit Zone fund, the updated lease said.

City Clerk Josh Stecker wrote in an email Friday that the Hospital Benefit Zone fund is drawn from sales tax revenues, and “is not an additional sales tax levied by the city” but “a portion of the state’s 6.5% sales tax that is set aside specifically for this fund.”

Only capital projects within a certain distance of St. Anthony’s Hospital are eligible for money from the Hospital Benefit Zone fund, city Parks Manager Jennifer Haro wrote in an email Monday.

Asked via phone Friday about the city’s decision to help fund Phase 1A, Mayor Mary Barber said there were several factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

Construction site of Phase 1A of the Gig Harbor Sports Complex, which will add two artificial turf fields, field lighting and 100 parking stalls next to the Tom Taylor YMCA, on Saturday, May 2, 2025 in Gig Harbor, Wash.

Construction site of Phase 1A of the Gig Harbor Sports Complex, which will add two artificial turf fields, field lighting and 100 parking stalls next to the Tom Taylor YMCA, on Saturday, May 2, 2025 in Gig Harbor, Wash.

The pandemic “changed fundraising,” Barber said. “We did need to pivot and make some adjustments, and the city believed so strongly in the project that we were willing to commit that funding.”

The fundraising campaign took longer than expected, pushing back the project timeline, The News Tribune reported.

The YMCA is scheduled to have the fields complete this December after the city extended the deadline by another year, according to Jessie Palmer, senior executive of financial development for the YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties. Each field will be 360 feet by 210 feet, which allows them to accommodate sports including soccer, youth football, lacrosse and Little League baseball at the T-ball level, Palmer said in an interview on April 29.

Meeting demand for youth athletic fields

“These fields are not just an investment in our youth, but in our local economy too, with the potential to bring in future tournaments and visitors to support nearby businesses,” Barber said in a YMCA press release. “This public-private partnership that we initiated with the YMCA over a decade ago is a great example of how we can come together to create more places for kids to play, grow, and thrive.”

The YMCA press release noted that there are over 9,000 youth who participate in field sports in Gig Harbor and surrounding areas.

Children attended the groundbreaking ceremony for Phase 1A of the Gig Harbor Sports Complex on Saturday, May 2, 2025, in Gig Harbor, Wash.

Children attended the groundbreaking ceremony for Phase 1A of the Gig Harbor Sports Complex on Saturday, May 2, 2025, in Gig Harbor, Wash.

“Local sports groups have had to limit the number of participants and put kids on waitlists because there are not additional fields to accommodate the demand,” the release said. “The synthetic turf fields will also help ensure fewer cancellations due to poor weather or muddy or unsafe field conditions. Additionally, well-lit fields will keep events safely running year-round, even during dark winter hours.”

A timeline on the Gig Harbor Peninsula Youth Sports Coalition website tracking the community’s journey toward establishing the sports complex says that Gig Harbor has faced a lack of sports fields for decades. Several land acquisitions and many public meetings and open house events helped push the project forward, according to the timeline.

The fields will also allow the YMCA to offer more of its own programming, like summer day camp activities that they previously had to host in the parking lot with tents and roll-up artificial turf mats, according to Palmer.

YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties board members and executive staff members attended the groundbreaking event of Phase 1A of the Gig Harbor Sports Complex on Saturday, May 3, in Gig Harbor.

YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties board members and executive staff members attended the groundbreaking event of Phase 1A of the Gig Harbor Sports Complex on Saturday, May 3, in Gig Harbor.

The city of Gig Harbor donated the land for the two fields, after paying $3.5 million in 2017 to purchase it along with land to build an adjacent park, according to city Parks Manager Haro. The city council approved a master plan in 2018 directing the design, permitting and construction for the sports complex; and has committed a total of $10.5 million for the complex so far as a whole, according to the city website.

City park amenities nearly complete

A city newsletter on April 23 said that construction is set to finish in late May on another phase of the larger sports complex: a park next to the YMCA-operated turf fields. The city’s budget for that phase was $5.2 million in the 2023-2024 budget, per the city website.

Charlie Davis, CEO and president of YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties, addresses attendees of a groundbreaking event for Phase 1A of the Gig Harbor Sports Complex on Saturday, May 3, in Gig Harbor, Wash.

Charlie Davis, CEO and president of YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties, addresses attendees of a groundbreaking event for Phase 1A of the Gig Harbor Sports Complex on Saturday, May 3, in Gig Harbor, Wash.

Phase 1B will add a variety of recreational amenities to the sports complex, including a restrooms/concession building, picnic shelters, event lawn, bocce ball courts, pickleball courts and more parking, per the city website. It will also feature a ship play structure, Native American canoes on the playground and a performance stage and lawn, according to a measure recently reviewed by the city council to decide on a name.

After receiving 24 suggestions from the public, the city council landed on the name Doris Heritage Park, according to a city resolution on April 28. The name honors a Gig Harbor athlete who broke two world records and won dozens of national and world titles for distance running, including at the Olympics, according to her bio in the National Track & Field Hall of Fame. Doris Heritage attended Peninsula High School — at a time when girls weren’t allowed to run on the track — and finished her career as a running coach for four decades at Seattle Pacific University, the resolution says.

Phases 2 and 3 still in design stage

There’s also a second and third phase projected for the project, though no funding has been allocated yet for the design, permitting or construction of those phases, according to city Parks Manager Haro. She also wrote that the city doesn’t have any agreements in place to partner with other organizations on the phases.

The city paid $125,000 for a feasibility study of Phases 2 and 3. Estimated costs for those phases stand at $28 million, Haro wrote in her email. The city council approved that feasibility study from consultant BCRA in March 2024.

Phase 2 will convert the Peninsula Light Fields currently leased by Gig Harbor Little League to artificial turf, and Phase 3 will develop additional turf fields on undeveloped land south of the existing Tom Taylor YMCA, according to the city website.



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CAYSI parts ways With Carencro Park after failing to meet city requirements

CARENCRO, La. — After decades of calling Carencro Park home, the Carencro Area Youth Sports Inc. has decided to part ways. City officials say this comes after citing administrative issues that have gone unresolved for years. Back in March, a city council meeting confirmed this when concerns were raised about the organization’s compliance with basic […]

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June 5, 2025

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CARENCRO, La. — After decades of calling Carencro Park home, the Carencro Area Youth Sports Inc. has decided to part ways.

City officials say this comes after citing administrative issues that have gone unresolved for years.

Back in March, a city council meeting confirmed this when concerns were raised about the organization’s compliance with basic requirements to continue operating at the park.

City Council members said CAYSI failed to provide necessary documentation.

“We don’t have the certificate of insurance requirements, don’t have the list of the current board members, and don’t have the IRS documents,” said officials.

Carencro City Councilman Jordan Arceneaux said the city has worked with CAYSI in hopes of resolving these paperwork issues.

“We’ve worked with them for over four years to try and make this work, and we never have,” Arceneaux said.

City officials also attempted to verify CAYSI’s nonprofit status through the IRS database for 501(c)(3) organizations but were unable to find a matching record.

A 501(c)(3) is a type of nonprofit organization recognized by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the United States. This recognition is granted under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and allows the organization to be exempt from federal income tax.

At the March meeting, it was noted that the city has the legal right to terminate the existing Cooperative Endeavor Agreement, a binding contract outlining responsibilities between the city and the organization at any time without penalty.

Arceneaux explained the city offered two alternatives. CAYSI could continue using the park free of charge, including access to concession stands to raise money for the program. He also said the city has usually budgeted around $10,000 a year for the program to buy equipment. Cited by the Louisiana Auditor, CAYSI needs to have a cooperative endeavor agreement and without a signed agreement, that arrangement is no longer legally viable.

“They did not—or would not—sign the Cooperative Endeavor Agreement and abide by it,” Arceneaux said. “They’re still welcome to use the park, like anybody else, but they will need to pay like everyone else does. It’s a resource of the city that they will need to pay for. I’m certain we could have come up with a very reasonable rate that they could have rented the park for, but they chose not to go that route.”

He added that while some documents were submitted, they did not meet requirements set by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor, preventing the city from continuing its formal partnership with the organization.

“It’s unfortunate,” Arceneaux said. “CAYSI is an amazing organization that’s been around for decades. It’s provided a sense of community and kept kids safe. The value of that can’t be overstated, which is why we worked so hard to keep them in Carencro.”

In a statement, Mayor Charlotte Clavier says:

“The City of Carencro will establish its own parks youth program for the upcoming fall. We are looking forward to providing recreational activities for those interested. Anyone who would like to volunteer or coach can contact City Hall for more information.”

CAYSI announced recently via social media that the organization will continue.

“We are still fully operational and will continue to serve the community and grow athletes with the same commitment as always. We are opening a new chapter and plan to collaborate with Lafayette PARC, Brown Park, CSA, SATS, and SWA. Giving our kids places to express their talents.”

KATC reached out to CAYSI multiple times for an interview, but they were unresponsive.





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Registered sex offender caught coaching youth basketball twice, charges say

Chesterfield police said Richard Spivey was caught for the first time in May 2024 and again this past May. CHESTERFIELD, Mo. — A registered sex offender who is prohibited from coaching minors was caught coaching St. Louis County youth basketball twice in just over a year, according to court documents. Richard Spivey, 47, was convicted […]

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June 5, 2025

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Chesterfield police said Richard Spivey was caught for the first time in May 2024 and again this past May.

CHESTERFIELD, Mo. — A registered sex offender who is prohibited from coaching minors was caught coaching St. Louis County youth basketball twice in just over a year, according to court documents.

Richard Spivey, 47, was convicted in 2001 for the statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl. He was 21 at the time of the crime.

Spivey is now charged with two felony counts of coaching youth sports team as a sex offender. Chesterfield police said he was caught for the first time in May 2024 and again this past May.

According to charging documents, on May 5, 2024, Spivey acted as a volunteer basketball coach for children under 17 years old.

A year later, on May 25, a police lieutenant working off-duty security for a boy’s basketball tournament at The Beal Center (formerly the Chesterfield Sports Complex) was approached by a spectator who saw Spivey coaching one of the teams.

Spivey’s bond was set at $15,000 when he was charged last year and he was ordered to have no contact with minors. The state filed a motion this week to revoke that bond after he was charged again for the same conduct.

Spivey’s bond for the 2025 case is now set at $150,000.

An arraignment hearing was set for Thursday.



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League City looking for youth basketball coaches | Local News

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Kids learn basketball and boxing at Stick & Move camp

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) – Dozens of kids are learning the fundamentals of basketball and boxing at the second annual Stick & Move Youth Day Camp. The free camp organized by the Legacy Driven nonprofit organization run by former University of Virginia basketball star Travis Watson. The unique camp combines basketball with boxing. “Same components and […]

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June 5, 2025

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) – Dozens of kids are learning the fundamentals of basketball and boxing at the second annual Stick & Move Youth Day Camp.

The free camp organized by the Legacy Driven nonprofit organization run by former University of Virginia basketball star Travis Watson.

The unique camp combines basketball with boxing.

“Same components and skill sets,” says Watson. “Having to use both left and right hand. We did it again to put on for the community.”

“I love basketball, my mom said I might like boxing so it’s a good way to mix both,” says camper Ian Kaufman. “Boxing is a good cross sport for basketball because it’s a cardio sport.”

“This is an impressionable age to train that mentality and be professional and find out what they like.” says Watson.

The innovative camp promotes physical fitness and mental resilience.

“Boxing is important to teach kids because it’s just like life, it’s tough,” says boxing instructor George Rivera. “When you build your confidence in your mental and physical, it’s going to prepare you for life in all sports.”

The camp is designed to instill discipline, teamwork and leadership.

“Self-defense, respecting others, it’s not just about boxing,” says camper Mohamed Androaje. “Coach also teaches us about manners and to have respect for each other in and out of the ring.”

Whether it’s a punch or a pass, it’s a meaningful summer experience.

Do you have a story idea? Send us your news tip here.

Copyright 2025 WVIR. All rights reserved.



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HELIOS Partners with NHL Rising Star Matthew Knies to Revolutionize Youth Sports Training

Matthew Knies x HELIOS PORTSMOUTH, N.H., June 04, 2025–(BUSINESS WIRE)–HELIOS, a leader in sports technology innovation, proudly announces a groundbreaking partnership with Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies. This collaboration aims to redefine youth sports training, starting with ice hockey player development, by delivering performance data, personalized insights, and automated shift video to players and […]

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Matthew Knies x HELIOS
Matthew Knies x HELIOS

PORTSMOUTH, N.H., June 04, 2025–(BUSINESS WIRE)–HELIOS, a leader in sports technology innovation, proudly announces a groundbreaking partnership with Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies. This collaboration aims to redefine youth sports training, starting with ice hockey player development, by delivering performance data, personalized insights, and automated shift video to players and coaches.

As the youth sports industry evolves, with projections estimating a market size of $70 billion by 2030, the demand for individualized training solutions has never been higher. HELIOS stands at the forefront of this transformation, offering cutting-edge technologies that empower young athletes to reach their full potential.

Matthew Knies, known for his relentless work ethic and explosive approach to the game, embodies the synergy between athletic excellence and sports science. His partnership with HELIOS underscores a shared commitment to fostering the next generation of athletes through innovative training methodologies.

“When I was younger there wasn’t any way to track what I was doing. I always dreamed of having something like this,” Knies said. “Now, HELIOS has completely changed the landscape for developing youth hockey players. I’m excited to work with HELIOS and drive the game forward.”

HELIOS’ platform leverages cutting edge AI-wearable technology to provide objective insights on skating performance, enabling athletes and coaches to optimize training and development . This approach not only enhances performance but also prioritizes injury prevention and individualized athlete development.

“Matthew’s development pathway aligns perfectly with our mission,” stated Bill Near, CEO of HELIOS. “Together, we’re setting a new standard for how young athletes train and grow in their respective sports.”

About HELIOS

HELIOS is the leading wearable technology and data platform for ice hockey, providing coaches, players, and parents with unmatched insight into on-ice performance. Trusted across programs at all levels, from elite youth to professional, HELIOS is redefining how development is measured and achieved.

About Matthew Knies

Matthew Knies is a forward for the Toronto Maple Leafs and one of the NHL’s most promising young players. A standout in the USHL and at the University of Minnesota, he earned All-American honors and helped Team USA win gold at the IIHF World Junior Championship. Off the ice, Knies is dedicated to helping young athletes train smarter and reach their potential.



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Youth Sports: Spartans 10U Softball Claims Surf City Classic | Sports

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