OPINION: Creating opportunity for youth sports in small communities

Story written by: By Rob DeHoff / Sports Coordinator at Decatur County Parks & Recreation

Story written by: By Rob DeHoff / Sports Coordinator at Decatur County Parks & Recreation

(GREENSBURG, Ind.) -- In Greensburg, we recently celebrated the unveiling of new turf baseball and softball facilities at the Decatur County Youth Sports Complex. As the Recreation Sports Coordinator at Decatur County Parks and Recreation, I can tell you firsthand: these improvements are transformative.

Rural communities like ours often struggle to fund modern athletic facilities. Before our recent upgrades, our facility often went unused outside of two months of the year, while local families took their kids (and their business) to other counties with better facilities. Not just here, but across the state and the country, there are small towns in America with substandard fields, where parents are fundraising year after year for basic improvements, and where children are missing out on playing on safe, modern facilities.

We’re grateful here in Decatur County to have received one-time funding for this project, but our communities and others like it need legislators to support these efforts going forward.

That’s why I’m grateful that our Indiana Senator Todd Young recently introduced the Youth Sports Facilities Act. This bill would make youth sports facilities eligible for grants through the U.S. Department of Commerce and create new funding pathways for local governments and nonprofits to build and improve youth sports facilities. Most importantly, the bill prioritizes rural communities – places that often lack the tax base to fund these projects independently. Rather than creating new spending, it expands eligibility for existing programs to places that might otherwise be left behind.

Why does this matter? The answer is simple: these aren't just places to play games; they're investments in our children, our communities, and our future.

Quality sports facilities promote physical and mental health. In an era of rising childhood obesity and mental health challenges, we’ve never needed more resources for play. We know that youth sports also teach essential life skills. Every time a child steps onto our fields, they're learning teamwork, discipline, and perseverance – qualities that serve them long after they hang up their cleats.

In addition to these benefits for our children, there are also benefits for our communities. Quality sports facilities drive economic development. When we host tournaments, visiting teams fill our local restaurants, stay in our hotels, and shop in our stores. One weekend tournament can generate thousands in revenue for small businesses in our community, and USSSA Baseball and Softball has already committed to 18 tournaments in Greensburg through October of this year.

The Youth Sports Facilities Act would level the playing field, ensuring that a child's zip code doesn't determine their access to quality sports facilities. It's a commonsense investment in America's future, starting at the local level. This legislation recognizes what we’ve learned in Decatur County: investments in youth sports facilities pay dividends in healthier kids, stronger communities, and more vibrant local economies.

I look forward to continuing to serve as Sports Coordinator here in Decatur County, and am optimistic about the great opportunities that will undoubtedly keep coming our way here in Southeastern Indiana.