Minneapolis families signing up for youth sports this spring will notice a big change that’s causing pushback.
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board said the goal is to make sure kids are fairly placed on a team, but some teams feel the new sign-up system will impact under-served communities negatively.
A sea of signs was on display at the Wednesday park board meeting, expressing that change is not good.
“Thank you for everyone coming out today fighting for our children,” a resident at the March 5 meeting said.
This spring, the park board is rolling out a new way for kids to sign up for sports by moving to a “central youth registration” system.
It will guarantee a spot on a local team with a friend. With this change, pre-formed teams are no longer an option.
“No pre-formed teams will be allowed to reduce disparities in skill level. Rosters will also have balanced numbers, reducing instances in which teams have too few or too many players,” Jack Bartsh, with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, said in a Jan. 28 meeting.
The board said in 2024, 91% of the players signed up without a pre-formed team.
“Those people were having a hard time finding a team, and people were falling through the cracks,” Bartsh said.
Pre-formed teams often come together in nonprofit organizations like Boys and Girls Club Twin Cities and Hospitality House Youth Development.
“We should keep all the programs you are attempting to remove in the park board because it’s a way for them to integrate within the Minneapolis community and stay in the community,” a teen said at the March 5 meeting.
Black and Native coaches said in the meeting having the same players allows mentorship and trust in underserved communities and no longer having the option will have consequences.
“We save lives. We keep kids out of prison. We keep kids out of graves,” the South Side Red Bears coach said.
Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Superintendent Al Bangoura said in a letter in response to the pushback, “We value the work that partner agency athletic groups do, and this new Recreation League for Pre-Formed Teams is a reflection of our commitment to recognizing their contribution to the Minneapolis Park and Recreation system.”
The superintendent added that the board is planning to make some changes by working on a recreation league for pre-formed youth teams set to launch this fall.
Read the full letter below.
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