01 / TIME + LOCAL ACCESS
ETHAN
QUALITY SHOULDN'T COST A CHILDHOOD.An hour each way to soccer. Home after 9:30 p.m., with homework still ahead. Less time for rest, friendships and family.
A community-powered alternative to pay-to-play
PUTTING THE CHILD
BACK AT THE CENTER
OF YOUTH SPORTS.
Change how youth sports are funded. Protect what youth sports are for.
GENERAL OVERVIEW
02 / A child-first standard
SPORT SHOULD
DEVELOP
THE WHOLE CHILD.
Confidence. Character. Health. Friendships. Resilience. Joy.
CHILD DEVELOPMENT FIRST.
THE MODEL MUST SERVE THE CHILD.
OUR APPROACH: Bring public resources, community expertise and private philanthropy together for more children.
09 / The Miami Beach signal
BEHIND THE NATIONAL NUMBERS
ARE REAL CHILDREN.
Cost is only one part of what children and families can lose when sport isn't organized around their needs.
02 / COACHING CULTURE
LUCA
A MISTAKE SHOULD BE A LESSON.After a goal, he was yelled at and blamed for the loss. What adults say can shape whether a child feels safe to learn.
03 / BELONGING + GIRLS' SPORT
ELLIE
THE FIRST EXPERIENCE SHOULD INVITE A GIRL BACK.One overwhelming early co-ed experience turned her away from soccer. The environment matters as much as the opportunity.
A CHILD-FIRST MODEL MUST PROTECT TIME, DIGNITY AND BELONGING.
15 / Be part of the movement
WE CAN CHANGE
HOW YOUTH SPORTS
WORK.
Build on the 2026 City-partnered Festival and help bring more high-quality, accessible youth sports into the community.
QUALITY FOR THE CHILD.SHARED SUPPORT FOR THE COMMUNITY.
ONE COMMUNITY CAN SHOW WHAT IS POSSIBLE.
MIAMI BEACH YOUTH SPORTS FOUNDATION
THE CHILD-FIRST MOVEMENT / DONOR DECK
Positive Coaching + Girls in Sports Education
The way we coach matters.
Coaches shape how young athletes experience pressure, mistakes, competition, belonging and growth.
MBYSF brings coach, parent and athlete education into the community — while adding dedicated education on how to coach girls and support their continued participation in sport.
$21,000 funds one year of community-wide sports education.
One mission / Positive Coaching
Make the experience as important as the score.
Children deserve coaches who develop confidence, character and skills alongside performance.
A better sports system starts with the adults.
Community funding brings practical education to coaches, parents and athletes. The goal is not to lower competitive standards; it is to help children learn, take risks and grow in an environment where mistakes become instruction rather than humiliation.
Community-powered means: excellent coaches and providers are paid fairly, family contributions remain affordable wherever possible, and philanthropy supports quality and equitable access. The child’s development—not program revenue—is the benchmark.
01 / Why It Matters
Coaching Shapes How Young Athletes Experience Sport.
Sport gives children real experiences with pressure, adversity, frustration, responsibility and teamwork.
The adult response to those moments matters. A mistake can become information. A loss can become a lesson. Pressure can become practice.
Or the same moments can become humiliation, fear and a reason a young person no longer wants to play.
Develop the Athlete. Protect the Joy.
The research behind the need
In Aspen Institute Project Play’s 2026 national youth survey, 23% of current players named bad coaching among their least favorite aspects of organized sports.
Aspen Institute Project Play · National Youth Survey (April 2026) ↗
02 / A Miami Beach Story
Luca.
A child's mistake should become a lesson,
not a humiliation.
After a mistake led to a goal, Luca's coach yelled at him in front of his team and later blamed him for the loss.
The moment was bigger than one play. It showed how much responsibility adults carry when children are learning to compete, recover and respond to adversity.
Positive Coaching education gives coaches, parents and athletes a shared framework for handling those moments differently.
A mistake can teach reflection.
A coach determines how.
03 / Funding Needed
$21K
One Year of Coach,
Parent, Athlete + Girls Sports Education
What $21,000 Funds.
The annual education plan creates multiple points of contact across the adults and young people who shape the sports environment.
It combines Positive Coaching education for coaches, parents and athletes with dedicated Girls in Sports sessions focused on helping adults better understand how to coach and support girls.
Train the coach.
Educate the parent.
Equip the athlete.
Better support the girl.
6
Coach Workshops
200 Coaches
160 in-person participants plus 40 online, focused on positive leadership, development and sports culture.
3
Parent Workshops
150 Parents
Education designed to help families support development, competition, confidence and the athlete experience.
3
Athlete Workshops
150 Athletes
Tools to help young athletes respond to mistakes, pressure, competition, setbacks and team responsibility.
3
Girls in Sports Sessions
Coach Education
Dedicated education with a girls-sports lens, including how adults can better coach, develop and retain girls in sport.
Core Positive Coaching workshops are planned to directly reach
approximately 500 coaches, parents and athletes,
with Girls in Sports education providing an additional
targeted learning layer.
01 / Coaches
Build Better Leadership Habits
Give coaches practical tools for correcting mistakes, communicating under pressure, maintaining standards and creating environments where athletes remain valued.
02 / Parents
Align the Adults Around the Child
Help parents understand how their behavior around practices, games, mistakes and performance influences the athlete experience.
03 / Athletes
Give Young People Tools for Adversity
Help athletes develop reflection, composure, responsibility and healthier ways to respond to pressure and setbacks.
04 / Girls Sports
Improve How Girls Are Coached
Add a dedicated gender-informed lens so coaches and adults better understand the conditions that can help girls enter, belong and remain in sport.
Funding brief / $21,000 / annual education plan
What your gift changes.
What it actually funds.
The budget is a defined proposal—not a promise that every planned outcome has already been achieved. Before a donor commits, MBYSF and the implementing partner can confirm the final scope, funding designation and intended measures of success.
01 / THE FUNDED WORK
What the gift covers
The proposed annual mix: six coach workshops, three parent workshops, three athlete workshops, and three girls-sports education sessions.
02 / SCOPE + ASSUMPTIONS
What the model means
A $21,000 education plan; approximately 500 coach, parent and athlete participations are a planned core-workshop reach, not past results or necessarily unique people.
03 / THE NEXT STAGE
What happens after
Reinforce and evaluate habits after workshops; future years require renewal or another confirmed source of funding.
Funds with related purposes are coordinated across the MBYSF portfolio. Each eligible cost and resulting participant outcome is recorded once, even if it advances more than one mission pillar.
04 / The Reach
Train One Coach. Influence an Entire Team.
The direct workshop numbers tell only part of the story.
Coach education changes the environment children return to every practice and every game. Parent education influences what happens before and after competition. Athlete education gives young people tools they can use themselves.
500
Coaches, Parents + Athletes
Reached Directly Through Core Workshops
05 / What We Track
Education Should Change More Than Attendance.
Donor reporting should show who participated, what was delivered and whether the education is beginning to influence the sports environment around children.
Reach
Participation
Track coaches, parents and athletes participating across in-person and online education.
Delivery
Workshops Completed
Track the number and type of workshops delivered against the annual education plan.
Experience
Participant Feedback
Gather feedback on relevance, usefulness and confidence applying what participants learned.
Practice
Coach Application
Where practical, assess how coaches are applying positive leadership and communication principles in their programs.
Girls
Gender-Informed Education
Track participation in Girls in Sports sessions and the reach of education specifically focused on coaching girls.
Community
Continued Engagement
Track repeat participation, future training demand and opportunities to embed positive coaching standards more broadly across local sports.
Measuring the child-first difference
Not just what we deliver.
What changes for children.
These are proposed measures to agree with each donor and implementing partner. Actual results will be reported separately from projections, and duplicate registrations or activities will not be presented as unique children served.
Outputs / what we deliver
- Workshops completed against the approved plan
- Attendance and unique participants, counted separately
- Coach, parent and athlete feedback collected
Outcomes / the difference
- Whether participants feel more confident responding to mistakes and pressure
- Examples of positive coaching practices applied in local programs
- Continued engagement and demand for additional education
A funded program should create an experience a child can access, enjoy, and grow from—not merely another registration or receipt.
Research + Further Reading
Want to Dive Deeper?
Research and national youth-sports frameworks consistently point to the importance of coaching relationships, positive environments, developmentally appropriate expectations and belonging in the athlete experience.
PCA Impact + Retention
Positive Coaching Alliance ·
Coach education,
sports experience + retention
↗
Organized Sports for Children + Adolescents
American Academy of Pediatrics ·
Development,
coaching environment + youth participation
↗
Coaching Through a Gender Lens
Women's Sports Foundation ·
Coaching girls,
belonging + development
↗
Keeping Girls in the Game
Women's Sports Foundation ·
Participation,
retention + barriers
↗
Fund Positive Coaching
Change the Conditions Around the Coach.
Annual funding of $21,000 brings Positive Coaching education to coaches, parents and athletes while adding dedicated education around coaching girls.
The workshop reaches the participant. What they do differently can change the experience of an entire team.
$21,000 · One Year of Community-Wide Sports Education
Girls Sports
Build the Opportunity. Let Girls Show What Is Possible.
Girls need high-quality places to begin, develop, compete and keep progressing.
Funding for Girls in Sports provides the coaching capacity to help an emerging local program grow into a consistent, year-long pathway.
$54,000 · Five Coaches · 36 Weeks · Up to 100 Girls
One mission / Girls in Sports
Give girls a place to begin—and a reason to stay.
Create sustained girls-only opportunity, not just a moment of participation.
A lasting pathway is more powerful than a one-day clinic.
Dedicated coaching creates a consistent girls-focused environment where beginners can enter, committed athletes can develop, and older girls can model what is possible. Girls should have quality choices close to home, not have to travel just to find a place to belong.
Community-powered means: excellent coaches and providers are paid fairly, family contributions remain affordable wherever possible, and philanthropy supports quality and equitable access. The child’s development—not program revenue—is the benchmark.
01 / Why It Matters
Opportunity Changes Who Gets to Stay in the Game.
Girls cannot choose opportunities that do not exist.
Participation depends on more than interest or ability. Girls need accessible entry points, quality coaching, environments where they belong and clear opportunities to keep developing.
When those pathways are limited, girls may have fewer opportunities to begin locally — and committed athletes may have to travel farther to continue progressing.
Build the Opportunity.
Let Girls Decide How Far They Want to Go.
28%
of female students in Florida reported participating
in organized sports outside of school.
Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey, 2023.
Exact reported figure: 27.7%.
The research behind the need
Aspen Institute Project Play reports that 37% of girls ages 6–17 regularly participated in sports in 2024 (SFIA data), still below the rate for boys.
Aspen Institute Project Play · 2025 Participation Trends (2024 data) ↗
03 / Funding Needed
$54K
Full Coaching Foundation
for One Priority Girls Sport
What $54,000 Funds.
The introductory planning model funds five trained coaches across 36 weekly sessions, providing coaching capacity for up to 100 girls at a 20-to-1 athlete-to-coach ratio.
Philanthropy secures the coaching foundation first — allowing family contributions to carry less of the cost while protecting program quality.
Don't lower the quality.
Change who pays for it.
5
Trained Coaches
$300
Per Coach · Per Session
36
Weekly Sessions
$54K
Annual Coaching Support
MBYSF introductory planning model:
five coaches × $300 per coach, per session ×
36 weekly sessions = $54,000.
At the modeled 20-to-1 ratio,
the coaching structure can serve up to 100 participants.
Competition, league and travel costs are scoped separately by sport.
01 / Coaching Capacity
Build the Coaching Team
Fund enough trained coaches to move beyond a small pilot and support a larger, consistent program.
02 / Program Consistency
Create a 36-Week Foundation
Give girls a consistent weekly opportunity to learn and develop, rather than relying only on isolated clinics or short-term programming.
03 / Shared Cost
Reduce Dependence on Family Fees
Philanthropic support shares the cost of quality across the community instead of requiring families to carry the entire coaching expense.
04 / Pathway Development
Create Somewhere to Go Next
A stable coaching foundation creates the capacity from which games, competition, advanced development and leadership opportunities can grow.
$54,000 represents the modeled annual coaching foundation
for one introductory program.
Field costs, equipment, league play,
competition and travel may vary by sport
and are scoped separately.
Funding brief / $54,000 / proposed 36-week coaching foundation
What your gift changes.
What it actually funds.
The budget is a defined proposal—not a promise that every planned outcome has already been achieved. Before a donor commits, MBYSF and the implementing partner can confirm the final scope, funding designation and intended measures of success.
01 / THE FUNDED WORK
What the gift covers
Five qualified coaches at $300 each, across 36 weekly sessions, for one designated priority girls sport.
02 / SCOPE + ASSUMPTIONS
What the model means
The $54,000 amount covers the modeled coaching foundation only. Competition, league, travel and any other sport-specific operating costs must be scoped separately. Up to 100 girls reflects a 20:1 planning ratio, not guaranteed enrollment.
03 / THE NEXT STAGE
What happens after
Build retention and age-appropriate next steps; a further season or annual cycle requires its own confirmed operating plan.
Funds with related purposes are coordinated across the MBYSF portfolio. Each eligible cost and resulting participant outcome is recorded once, even if it advances more than one mission pillar.
04 / Local Proof
The Coaches and Early Programs Are Already Emerging.
MBYSF has begun working with talented local women to create and strengthen opportunities for children and girls.
The next funding priority is not simply about launching another idea. It is about giving promising local leadership enough coaching capacity to build programs that can grow.
Coach Solange
MB Fit Kids
Coach Heather
Miami Beach Softball
Coach Kat
Girls Flag Football
05 / What We Track
Your Impact Should Include Measurable Access and Growth.
Donors should be able to see what their support changed. Reporting can track both the reach of the program and whether girls have meaningful opportunities to enter, stay and progress.
Reach
Girls Participating
Track registrations, participation and the number of girls served by the funded program.
Capacity
Coaching Delivered
Track coaches funded, sessions delivered and whether the planned athlete-to-coach ratio is maintained.
Access
Family Cost + Assistance
Track participant fees, financial assistance and how philanthropic support changes the cost carried by families.
Retention
Girls Who Return
Measure whether participants continue across sessions and return for future programming.
Progression
Next-Step Opportunities
Track movement into games, competition, advanced development or other appropriate pathways.
Leadership
Women + Girls Leading
Track female coaches, mentors and older athletes taking on leadership roles around the program.
Measuring the child-first difference
Not just what we deliver.
What changes for children.
These are proposed measures to agree with each donor and implementing partner. Actual results will be reported separately from projections, and duplicate registrations or activities will not be presented as unique children served.
Outputs / what we deliver
- Actual coach sessions and number of coaches funded
- Unique girls enrolled, ages served and session attendance
- Participation fees, aid availability and coaching ratios
Outcomes / the difference
- Girls who return from session to session or season to season
- Reported confidence, belonging and positive experience
- Girls progressing into appropriate competition or leadership
A funded program should create an experience a child can access, enjoy, and grow from—not merely another registration or receipt.
Research + Further Reading
Want to Dive Deeper?
National and Florida research reinforces the importance of access, belonging, coaching quality and sustained opportunity in girls' sports participation.
Fund Girls Sports
Back the Coach. Build the Program. Grow the Pathway.
Funding of $54,000 provides the annual coaching foundation for one priority girls sport: five trained coaches, 36 weekly sessions and capacity for up to 100 girls.
The opportunity begins with coaching. What girls do with it is theirs to decide.
$54,000 · Five Coaches · 36 Weeks · Up to 100 Girls
Youth Leadership + Career Pathways
Learn. Contribute. Advance.
MBYSF gives Miami Beach students opportunities to gain real-world experience through the work happening around youth sports.
Students can begin through internships, volunteer roles and project-based experience. Those who demonstrate skill, reliability and initiative can progress toward paid opportunities with experienced guidance to help them continue developing.
$20,000 creates a path from experience to paid opportunity.
One mission / Youth Leadership
Turn youth sports experience into a real first step.
Give young people meaningful responsibility and clear, fairly supported opportunities to advance.
Young athletes can become tomorrow’s coaches and leaders.
Youth sports can develop more than players. Supervised work, mentorship and accessible paid opportunities help young people build judgment, skills, a portfolio and confidence as community contributors.
Community-powered means: excellent coaches and providers are paid fairly, family contributions remain affordable wherever possible, and philanthropy supports quality and equitable access. The child’s development—not program revenue—is the benchmark.
01 / Why It Matters
Experience Is Most Valuable When It Has Somewhere to Go.
An internship can give a student a first chance to learn, contribute and discover where their strengths lie.
But students who demonstrate real skill, responsibility and initiative need a next step.
A structured pathway can turn early experience into paid work, mentorship, a stronger portfolio, professional references and preparation for future opportunities.
Give Students a Place to Start.
Give Talent Somewhere to Go.
The research behind the need
The Search Institute’s developmental relationships framework emphasizes the importance of caring adults who provide support, challenge, shared power and opportunities for growth.
Search Institute · Developmental Relationships Framework ↗
02 / A Miami Beach Story
Camila.
Development does not have to end
when the role changes.
Camila is a Miami Beach Senior High flag football player who hopes to compete in college.
MBYSF and Flag Lab connected her with an opportunity to attend a showcase in front of Florida Atlantic University coaches while helping create year-round opportunities for her to keep developing.
Her pathway is now expanding in another direction. By working under Coach Kat as an assistant coach, Camila can gain experience mentoring elementary-age girls while learning from an experienced coach.
Develop the skill.
Add responsibility.
Create the next opportunity.
03 / Funding Needed
$20K
One Year of Youth Leadership
+ Paid Career Pathways
What $20,000 Funds.
MBYSF can create entry-level experience across coaching, events, operations, marketing, media, outreach, advocacy and other areas of the organization.
The $20,000 commitment creates the next level: experienced adult guidance, two paid student positions and the employment infrastructure needed to support meaningful paid work.
Start with experience.
Advance through demonstrated skill.
Pay students when they are ready for more.
$4,800
Youth Leadership Advisor
An experienced advisor and coach
works directly with students
to strengthen their skills,
review work,
set professional expectations
and help them prepare
for the next level of responsibility.
4 hours of direct engagement each month
$12,000
Two Paid Student Positions
The initial model funds
two paid student content roles,
creating a progression
from early experience
to meaningful paid work
for students who demonstrate readiness.
$500 per month per student ·
approximately 5 hours per week
$3,200
Employment + Program Support
Covers the operating infrastructure
required to support student work
responsibly and effectively.
Payroll · training · software · transportation · program expenses
The initial paid positions are budgeted as two student content roles.
MBYSF's broader youth leadership pathway can include
unpaid and project-based experience across coaching,
events, operations, marketing, media,
community outreach, advocacy and other organizational needs.
01 / Entry Experience
Create Places to Learn
Give students real responsibilities through internships, volunteer roles and project-based work across MBYSF programs and events.
02 / Paid Opportunity
Reward Demonstrated Readiness
Create paid positions for students who show skill, reliability, initiative and the ability to take on greater responsibility.
03 / Mentorship
Help Students Improve
Give students access to an experienced advisor who can critique work, teach professional habits and help sharpen their skills.
04 / Career Development
Build What Comes Next
Help students leave with stronger portfolios, references, work experience and clearer understanding of where their interests can lead.
Funding brief / $20,000 / proposed annual cohort
What your gift changes.
What it actually funds.
The budget is a defined proposal—not a promise that every planned outcome has already been achieved. Before a donor commits, MBYSF and the implementing partner can confirm the final scope, funding designation and intended measures of success.
01 / THE FUNDED WORK
What the gift covers
A $4,800 advisor allocation, $12,000 for two paid student content positions, and $3,200 for employment and program support: $20,000 total.
02 / SCOPE + ASSUMPTIONS
What the model means
The budget underwrites two paid student content roles, not paid junior-coach or event-staff positions. Additional leadership projects are part of the wider program and require their own staffing and funding where appropriate.
03 / THE NEXT STAGE
What happens after
Students leave with practical experience, work samples, mentoring and references; follow-on placements depend on readiness, available roles and funding.
Funds with related purposes are coordinated across the MBYSF portfolio. Each eligible cost and resulting participant outcome is recorded once, even if it advances more than one mission pillar.
04 / Already in Motion
The Pathways Are Already Beginning.
MBYSF is already creating different ways for young people to learn by doing.
The $20,000 funding commitment gives those early opportunities a more structured next step — including mentorship and paid positions for students ready to advance.
Camila
Assistant Coaching
Zoe
Paid Photography + Social Content
MBSHS Softball
Community Outreach
Junior Leadership Council
Youth Voice + Advocacy
FROM STUDENT EXPERIENCE TO PAID OPPORTUNITY
Zoe. Creating a pathway through media.
A 2026 graduate of Miami Beach Senior High, Zoe began contributing her photography and social-content skills through MBYSF's Youth Media & Content internship. She now works as a paid photography and social-content intern, documenting the athletes, programs and people behind Miami Beach youth sports.
Her progression from learning by doing to paid creative work is exactly the kind of youth leadership pathway MBYSF wants to build.
05 / What We Track
Experience Should Produce Measurable Growth.
Donor reporting should show both the opportunities created and how students progress as their skills and responsibilities grow.
Access
Students Engaged
Track the number of students participating in internships, project roles and leadership opportunities.
Experience
Hours + Projects Completed
Track meaningful work completed, experience gained and the responsibilities students take on.
Advancement
Students Moving Into Paid Roles
Track progression from early experience into paid positions when students demonstrate readiness.
Mentorship
Advisor Engagement
Track direct mentoring, feedback sessions and professional-development support.
Skills
Work + Portfolio Development
Track tangible work students can use to demonstrate their growing skills to future schools or employers.
Next Step
Future Opportunities
Track references, continued employment, internships, educational opportunities and other next steps where known.
Measuring the child-first difference
Not just what we deliver.
What changes for children.
These are proposed measures to agree with each donor and implementing partner. Actual results will be reported separately from projections, and duplicate registrations or activities will not be presented as unique children served.
Outputs / what we deliver
- Two paid student content positions offered under the funded plan
- Advisory hours, work projects and supervised learning time
- Paid compensation and employment support delivered
Outcomes / the difference
- Skills demonstrated in work products and portfolios
- Student-reported confidence and ability to take responsibility
- References, continued placements and next opportunities when known
A funded program should create an experience a child can access, enjoy, and grow from—not merely another registration or receipt.
Research + Further Reading
Want to Dive Deeper?
Youth development research supports the value of meaningful responsibility, mentorship, experiential learning and opportunities for young people to practice skills in real settings.
Fund Youth Leadership + Career Pathways
Give Them Experience. Give Talent a Next Step.
Annual funding of $20,000 adds the structure that helps early experience become something more: an experienced advisor, two paid student positions and the support required to make those positions meaningful.
Give students a place to begin. Help the strongest candidates earn the opportunity to advance.
$20,000 · Advisor + Two Paid Student Positions + Employment Support
Community Play + Events
Give Kids a Place to Start. And a Place to Keep Playing.
Community access can begin with a first experience — or simply with a consistent place to show up and play.
MBYSF uses open play, free community events and the annual Youth Sports & Wellness Festival to lower the first barrier, connect families to local opportunities and understand where stronger pathways should be built next.
$11,000 Open Play · $32,000 Community Series · $56,000 Annual Festival
One mission / Community Events
Let children discover what they love before they have to commit.
Move from one-time discovery to continued local participation when a child wants to return.
The first chance to try should not be the hardest to access.
Free and low-barrier play experiences let families discover sports, meet local coaches and connect to ongoing programs without paying for an entire season first. The event is the entry point; continued participation is the opportunity.
Community-powered means: excellent coaches and providers are paid fairly, family contributions remain affordable wherever possible, and philanthropy supports quality and equitable access. The child’s development—not program revenue—is the benchmark.
01 / Why It Matters
Not Every Child Needs a Full Program to Start Playing.
Organized sports are important, but they are not the only way children develop a relationship with play.
Sometimes a child needs a low-pressure place to show up after school, meet other kids and play.
Sometimes a family needs an easy way to try a new sport before committing to a full season.
And sometimes an entire community benefits from coming together around sports, wellness and shared experiences.
Make It Easy to Start.
Make It Possible to Keep Playing.
The research behind the need
Among young people who had never played organized sports, 47% said they would prefer a public sports facility if they joined, according to Aspen Institute Project Play’s 2026 national youth survey.
Aspen Institute Project Play · National Youth Survey (April 2026) ↗
02 / A Miami Beach Story
Atlas.
One weekend can open a door.
Atlas wanted to find a team sport she could play with other girls.
Age-appropriate options close to home were limited, and committing to a full season without knowing whether she liked the sport was a difficult first step.
At the Youth Sports & Wellness Festival, she was able to explore different sports without that commitment.
She found softball — and a place where she could learn, play and belong with other girls.
Atlas came looking for a sport.
She left having found her team.
03 / Funding Needed
Three Ways to Create Community Access.
Donors can support three different layers of community participation: a consistent weekly place to play, recurring free sports experiences or MBYSF's large-scale annual festival.
Each addresses a different need, but all are designed to make sport easier to enter and easier to experience locally.
Your Gift at Work
What the Funding Covers.
Across weekly open play, community events and the annual festival, donor support pays for the people, equipment, operating infrastructure and access costs required to make participation possible.
01 / Supervision + Coaching
People on the Ground
Coaches, supervisors, instructors and activity leaders who create a safe, welcoming and organized environment.
02 / Equipment
Equipment + Production
Sports equipment, event materials and production needs required to deliver quality community play experiences.
03 / Operations
Safety + Logistics
Staffing, scheduling, setup, participant flow and safety-related operating needs.
04 / Access
Keep the Door Open
Donor support helps keep participation free or low-barrier so local children can simply show up and play.
Weekly Open Play planning model:
$11,000 supports supervised community play across 36 weeks.
Community Series planning model:
eight free events at approximately $4,000 per event.
Festival planning model:
$56,000 supports the annual three-day Youth Sports & Wellness Festival.
Final allocations may vary based on staffing,
activity mix,
production and venue needs.
Funding brief / $11K open play · $32K series · $56K festival
What your gift changes.
What it actually funds.
The budget is a defined proposal—not a promise that every planned outcome has already been achieved. Before a donor commits, MBYSF and the implementing partner can confirm the final scope, funding designation and intended measures of success.
01 / THE FUNDED WORK
What the gift covers
Choose one defined activation: modeled $11,000 weekly open play, $32,000 for eight mini-events, or $56,000 for the annual Youth Sports & Wellness Festival.
02 / SCOPE + ASSUMPTIONS
What the model means
The alternatives are not one combined package by default. Staffing, safety, equipment and event production are scoped to the selected activation; figures are planning budgets, not audited costs of the 2026 festival.
03 / THE NEXT STAGE
What happens after
Offer a follow-up directory, community contact and next-step information so discovery can lead to a recurring program if the family chooses.
Funds with related purposes are coordinated across the MBYSF portfolio. Each eligible cost and resulting participant outcome is recorded once, even if it advances more than one mission pillar.
04 / Proof
The Community Already Showed Up.
The 2026 Youth Sports & Wellness Festival demonstrated the appetite for accessible, local, multi-sport experiences.
Over three days at Flamingo Park, children and families participated in sports, tournaments, clinics, workshops and community activities.
1,822
Event Registrations
852
Unique Participants
506
Families Engaged
16
Sports + Wellness Experiences
Source: MBYSF 2026 Community Impact Report. The 1,822 event registrations include parents and other attendees; 852 refers to unique participants. Families, event registrations and unique participants are distinct measures and must not be added together.
05 / What We Track
Community Access Should Lead Somewhere.
Donor reporting should show not only how many children participated, but what those experiences reveal about local demand, continued engagement and where stronger pathways may be needed next.
Reach
Participation
Track registrations, attendance and repeat participation across open play, community events and festival activities.
Access
Free + Low-Barrier Play
Track how many children are able to participate without the financial or commitment barriers of a full seasonal program.
Consistency
Weekly Engagement
For open play, track attendance over time and whether children return consistently across the 36-week schedule.
Discovery
Sports Tried
Track participation across different sports to understand what children and families are interested in exploring.
Connection
Programs + Coaches Introduced
Track local coaches, providers and community partners families encounter through the experience.
Next Step
Follow-On Interest
Where possible, track interest in clinics, seasonal programs, teams and other next-step opportunities.
Measuring the child-first difference
Not just what we deliver.
What changes for children.
These are proposed measures to agree with each donor and implementing partner. Actual results will be reported separately from projections, and duplicate registrations or activities will not be presented as unique children served.
Outputs / what we deliver
- Number of free events/play sessions delivered
- Attendance, activity registrations and UNIQUE participants separately
- Providers and sports connected to each activation
Outcomes / the difference
- Children trying a new sport for the first time (when measured)
- Family awareness of affordable local next steps
- Optional follow-through into recurring programs and return participation
A funded program should create an experience a child can access, enjoy, and grow from—not merely another registration or receipt.
Research + Further Reading
Want to Dive Deeper?
National youth-sports research consistently emphasizes accessible entry points, community-based opportunities and environments that make it easier for children to begin and remain active.
State of Play
Aspen Institute Project Play ·
Youth participation,
access + community sports trends
↗
Project Play · State of Play 2025
Community systems,
access barriers
+ participation
↗
Physical Activity Benefits for Children
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ·
Physical activity,
health + youth development
↗
Fund Community Play
More Ways to Start. More Reasons to Keep Playing.
A consistent place to play, a free first experience or one community-wide weekend can each create a different kind of opportunity for a child.
Donor support makes those experiences possible — and helps MBYSF learn what families want, where children keep showing up and what the community should build next.
$11,000 · 36 Weeks Open Play
|
$32,000 · 8 Free Events
|
$56,000 · Annual Festival
Coach Launch Initiative
Great Coaches Should Be Able to Build Great Programs.
Coach Launch gives a talented community coach the first-year infrastructure needed to turn coaching expertise into an operating local program.
The coach brings the sport knowledge, relationships and vision. MBYSF helps build the structure around them.
$12,500 · One Coach · One First-Year Launch
One mission / Coach Launch
Back a strong coach. Create a lasting community opportunity.
Launch a locally accessible, responsibly operated program that otherwise might not get off the ground.
Keep the coaching expertise with the coach—and widen the public benefit.
Coach Launch helps promising local coaches clear first-year infrastructure barriers: insurance, legal and accounting setup, enrollment, equipment and access to space. The goal is an accessible community program led by the expert, with charity-funded costs tied to measurable benefit for children.
Community-powered means: excellent coaches and providers are paid fairly, family contributions remain affordable wherever possible, and philanthropy supports quality and equitable access. The child’s development—not program revenue—is the benchmark.
01 / Why It Matters
Coaching Expertise Does Not Automatically Create a Program.
A talented coach may know exactly how to teach the sport, develop young athletes and create a strong culture.
But turning that expertise into an operating program requires capital and infrastructure: legal structure, insurance, accounting, registration, field access, equipment, marketing and community outreach.
For an independent coach or small provider, those early costs and responsibilities can become the barrier between a strong idea and a program families can actually join.
The Coach Has the Expertise.
Philanthropy Helps Build the Infrastructure.
The research behind the need
The Aspen Institute’s 2025 parent survey found that average spending on a child’s primary sport rose 46% from 2019 to 2024—a reminder of why accessible local options matter.
Aspen Institute Project Play · Family Spending Survey (March 2025) ↗
02 / A Miami Beach Proof Point
Coach Solange. MB Fit Kids.
The coaching expertise already existed.
The opportunity was to build around it.
Coach Solange brought the expertise to create local opportunities for children to build strength, confidence and lifelong movement habits.
MBYSF helped provide structure, visibility and community support so MB Fit Kids could move from an idea into a program available to local families.
That launch became an early proof point for the Coach Launch model: identify talented community coaches, help remove first-year barriers and give their programs a stronger foundation from which to grow.
Local expertise.
Shared infrastructure.
More opportunity.
03 / Funding Needed
$12.5K
First-Year Foundation
for One Coach-Led Program
Your Gift at Work.
The $12,500 Coach Launch model is designed around three first-year needs: creating the business foundation, building enrollment and supporting initial program delivery.
The exact allocation may vary by coach, sport and operating need, but every launch is scoped around these core areas.
Fund the infrastructure
that allows coaching expertise
to become a real program.
01 / Business Foundation
Establish the Program
Legal entity setup, first-year insurance and accounting support create the operating foundation for the coach-led program.
02 / Brand + Enrollment
Build Demand
Website development, launch marketing, program materials and community outreach help families discover and enroll in the program.
03 / Program Delivery
Open the Program
First-year field or location fees, equipment and registration support help move the program from planning into delivery.
Planning model based on MBYSF's 2026 Coach Launch framework.
Final allocation is developed around the specific needs
of each coach-led program.
Funding brief / $12,500 / one proposed first-year launch
What your gift changes.
What it actually funds.
The budget is a defined proposal—not a promise that every planned outcome has already been achieved. Before a donor commits, MBYSF and the implementing partner can confirm the final scope, funding designation and intended measures of success.
01 / THE FUNDED WORK
What the gift covers
First-year infrastructure to establish the program, build community awareness and support initial delivery. The MB Fit Kids $8,400 lean pilot is a local example informing the proposed $12,500 model.
02 / SCOPE + ASSUMPTIONS
What the model means
This is scoped startup and public-benefit funding, not an unrestricted transfer to an independent sports business. Final allocations depend on documented coach and program needs.
03 / THE NEXT STAGE
What happens after
Test demand, affordability, attendance and operating viability during the first cycle. Ongoing revenues or renewed philanthropic support—not assumed future gifts—must sustain subsequent cycles.
Funds with related purposes are coordinated across the MBYSF portfolio. Each eligible cost and resulting participant outcome is recorded once, even if it advances more than one mission pillar.
04 / Proof
A Lean Pilot Helped Test the Model.
MBYSF launched MB Fit Kids with a lean pilot investment.
That experience helped identify the practical support required to move a coach-led concept toward an operating community program and informed the fuller $12,500 Coach Launch model.
$8.4K
Lean Pilot Funding Used to Launch MB Fit Kids
05 / What We Track
A Launch Should Produce Measurable Progress.
Donors should be able to see what their support helped create. Coach Launch reporting can track both the launch itself and the program's early progress toward sustainability.
Launch
Program Established
Core launch infrastructure completed and the program prepared to operate responsibly.
Enrollment
Families Reached
Track outreach, registrations and the number of children entering the program.
Delivery
Sessions Delivered
Track whether the program moves successfully from launch into consistent delivery.
Access
Community Participation
Where applicable, track scholarships, introductory access and participation opportunities created for local families.
Economics
Early Revenue
Track earned program revenue and the degree to which the program begins supporting its own operating costs.
Sustainability
Progress Beyond Launch
Review what additional support, earned revenue or capacity is required for the program's next stage.
Measuring the child-first difference
Not just what we deliver.
What changes for children.
These are proposed measures to agree with each donor and implementing partner. Actual results will be reported separately from projections, and duplicate registrations or activities will not be presented as unique children served.
Outputs / what we deliver
- Launch milestones for legal, insurance, enrollment and equipment
- Sessions delivered, children served and program fees charged
- Use of restricted startup funds against the agreed budget
Outcomes / the difference
- Additional affordable opportunities made available to local families
- Quality/experience feedback and continued participation
- A credible pathway toward sustainable child-first operations
A funded program should create an experience a child can access, enjoy, and grow from—not merely another registration or receipt.
Research + Further Reading
Want to Dive Deeper?
Coach Launch is primarily an MBYSF operating model. the strongest evidence for this funding approach is the local pilot itself, supported by broader research on the importance of quality coaching and strong community sports systems.
Launch a Local Coach
The Expertise Is Here. Help Build What It Needs.
Funding of $12,500 for Coach Launch gives one talented community coach the first-year foundation to move from expertise to an operating local program.
You fund the infrastructure. The coach builds the opportunity.
$12,500 · One Coach · One First-Year Launch
Program Support
Strengthen What Already Works.
Miami Beach already has committed coaches, trusted providers and children who want to play.
Program Support puts philanthropic resources around those existing programs so they can add qualified coaches, protect quality and make room for more children.
$54,000 · 5 Trained Coaches · 36 Weeks · Up to 100 Children
One mission / Program Support
More qualified coaches. More opportunities close to home.
Create and sustain additional quality places while monitoring family cost and child experience.
When demand exceeds coaching capacity, children are turned away.
Philanthropy can add coaching capacity without requiring families alone to finance every additional roster spot. The provider keeps coaching expertise and program delivery; MBYSF helps connect community investment to more accessible participation.
Community-powered means: excellent coaches and providers are paid fairly, family contributions remain affordable wherever possible, and philanthropy supports quality and equitable access. The child’s development—not program revenue—is the benchmark.
01 / Why It Matters
Demand Is Not the Same as Capacity.
Children can want to play. Families can want local options. Coaches can be ready to teach them.
But a quality program can only serve as many athletes as its coaching capacity allows.
When demand grows faster than the number of qualified coaches, programs have fewer places to offer, group sizes can increase and families may begin looking elsewhere for opportunity.
Philanthropy can solve a very practical problem: fund the coaching capacity that allows a strong existing program to serve more children well.
More Coaches.
More Children Get to Play.
The research behind the need
Aspen Institute Project Play found that the average family spent $1,016 on one child’s primary sport in 2024—46% more than in 2019.
Aspen Institute Project Play · Family Spending Survey (March 2025) ↗
02 / A Miami Beach Story
Benji.
Capacity — not desire —
was the barrier.
More than 60 children tried out for approximately 20 local soccer spots.
Benji wanted to keep playing. So did many of the other children who showed up.
The demand was there. The community simply did not have enough room to accommodate everyone.
60+
Children Tried Out
~20
Local Spots Available
More coaches and teams
are needed to support our kids.
A Second Miami Beach Reality / Time + Local Quality
Quality Coaching.Closer to Home.
For Ethan, the cost of pursuing quality soccer is also measured in hours away from home.
Ethan loves soccer and wants to keep developing. But the training opportunities he has pursued can mean traveling about an hour each way. On some practice nights, he is home after 9:30 p.m., with homework still waiting.
Those hours come out of the same day he needs for rest and recovery, school, friendships and family. This is not about eliminating travel for special tournaments or high-level competition. It is about creating more credible, high-quality local programs so leaving Miami Beach is a choice—not the default for everyday development.
Program Support helps qualified local providers add coaches and serve more children. Alongside Coach Launch and Places to Play, that can mean stronger options close to home and less pressure on family routines.
Keeping quality programs local is a quality-of-life investment.
03 / Funding Needed
$54K
Full Coaching Foundation
for One Introductory Program
What $54,000 Funds.
Program Support funding of $54,000 covers five trained coaches across 36 weekly sessions.
At the introductory planning ratio of approximately 20 athletes per coach, that creates coaching capacity for up to 100 children.
Program expertise stays with the provider.
Community investment expands who it can reach.
$300
Per Coach · Per Session
×
5
Trained Coaches
×
36
Weekly Sessions
=
$54K
Annual Coaching Support
This funding supports trained coaches.
Competition, league, travel,
field, equipment
and other sport-specific operating costs
may be scoped separately.
Scalable Program Funding
Fund One Coach. Or Build the Full Team.
The same coaching model can scale to match a donor's funding commitment.
$10.8K
One Coach
Up to 20 Children
Funds one trained coach across 36 weekly sessions.
$21.6K
Two Coaches
Up to 40 Children
Expands the coaching team while maintaining the same introductory planning ratio.
$32.4K
Three Coaches
Up to 60 Children
Creates meaningful additional program capacity across the full 36-week cycle.
$54K
Five Coaches
Up to 100 Children
Funds the full introductory coaching foundation for a larger local program.
Full Program Coaching Foundation
Your Gift at Work
What More Coaching Capacity Creates.
This funding is intentionally focused: put more qualified coaches around programs already serving children and let that added capacity expand what the provider can offer.
01 / Capacity
More Places to Play
Additional coaches allow existing programs to responsibly serve more local children.
02 / Quality
Protect the Standard
Added staff helps preserve appropriate group sizes and meaningful coaching attention as participation grows.
03 / Consistency
36 Weeks of Development
Fund sustained weekly coaching rather than relying only on short clinics or occasional opportunities.
04 / Community
Strengthen Local Providers
Providers retain their identity, expertise and relationships while philanthropic resources expand what they can deliver.
Capacity figures are planning assumptions
based on approximately 20 athletes per coach.
Actual ratios may vary by sport,
age, skill level and program design.
Program Support amounts shown here
fund coaching capacity only.
Funding brief / $10,800–$54,000 / proposed 36-week coaching model
What your gift changes.
What it actually funds.
The budget is a defined proposal—not a promise that every planned outcome has already been achieved. Before a donor commits, MBYSF and the implementing partner can confirm the final scope, funding designation and intended measures of success.
01 / THE FUNDED WORK
What the gift covers
Coach-hours at $300 per coach per week for 36 weeks: $10,800 for one coach, up to $54,000 for five coaches.
02 / SCOPE + ASSUMPTIONS
What the model means
This funds coaching capacity only. Group sizes and up to 20 children per coach are an introductory planning ratio, not a promise of new admissions or a universal staffing standard for every sport and age.
03 / THE NEXT STAGE
What happens after
The provider and MBYSF should review fees, enrollment demand, coach quality and funding mix before deciding on a renewed cycle.
Funds with related purposes are coordinated across the MBYSF portfolio. Each eligible cost and resulting participant outcome is recorded once, even if it advances more than one mission pillar.
04 / How the Model Works
Support the Provider. Don't Replace Them.
Miami Beach does not need every sports program to become an MBYSF-operated program.
Local coaches and providers already bring sport-specific expertise, trusted relationships and knowledge of their athletes.
MBYSF's role is to help bring additional resources around strong programs when greater capacity, access or infrastructure is needed.
Program expertise stays with the provider.
Community investment expands who it can reach.
05 / The Reach
Your Impact. Measurable Capacity.
Program Support is designed so a donor can see the direct relationship between the funding, the coaching added and the number of children that added capacity can support.
5
Trained Coaches
36
Weekly Sessions
20:1
Introductory Planning Ratio
100
Children at Full Modeled Capacity
06 / What We Track
More Coaching Should Create Measurable Opportunity.
Donor reporting should show exactly what the added coaching capacity allowed the supported program to deliver.
Funding
Coaches Funded
Track the number of qualified coaches directly supported by this funding.
Delivery
Sessions Delivered
Track weekly sessions completed across the funded program cycle.
Reach
Children Served
Track registrations and the number of children participating through the added coaching capacity.
Quality
Athlete-to-Coach Ratio
Monitor group size and whether the program is maintaining its intended coaching ratio.
Access
Family Cost + Assistance
Where applicable, track participant fees, financial assistance and how philanthropic support changes the cost carried by families.
Sustainability
Enrollment + Retention
Track demand, repeat participation and whether added capacity is helping the program build sustainably.
Family quality of life. Where participating families opt in, we can ask whether stronger local options reduce routine travel and support time for school, recovery and family. This is a proposed measure to assess, not a claim of achieved results.
Measuring the child-first difference
Not just what we deliver.
What changes for children.
These are proposed measures to agree with each donor and implementing partner. Actual results will be reported separately from projections, and duplicate registrations or activities will not be presented as unique children served.
Outputs / what we deliver
- Qualified coaches added or retained using the gift
- Actual sessions delivered and unique children served
- Group sizes, participation fees and assistance available
Outcomes / the difference
- Additional children able to participate locally
- Family affordability compared with the agreed program baseline
- Retention, positive experiences and appropriate development
A funded program should create an experience a child can access, enjoy, and grow from—not merely another registration or receipt.
Research + Further Reading
Want to Dive Deeper?
National youth-sports research continues to document rising family costs, uneven access and the importance of stronger community-based systems that allow more children to participate consistently.
Family Spending on Youth Sports
Aspen Institute Project Play ·
Cost,
affordability + access
↗
State of Play · Participation Trends
Aspen Institute Project Play ·
Participation,
access + community opportunity
↗
State of Play 2025
Aspen Institute Project Play ·
Youth sports systems
+ participation environment
↗
Fund Program Capacity
Strengthen What Already Works. Make Room for More Kids.
The coaches, providers and children are already here.
Program Support funding of $54,000 covers five trained coaches across 36 weeks and creates modeled capacity for up to 100 children.
You are not replacing the program. You are giving it more capacity to serve.
$54,000 · 5 Coaches · 36 Weeks · Up to 100 Children
Places to Play
Every Child Needs a Place to Play.
Great programs need coaches. Children also need something even simpler: safe, usable places where they can meet friends, bring a ball, practice and play.
Funding for Places to Play helps expand the spaces, equipment and usable hours that keep sport accessible inside the community.
$5,000–$250,000+ · Equipment · Play Hours · Courts · Lighting · New Play Spaces
One mission / Places to Play
Give children more places to just show up and play.
More accessible space and more usable play time for children, not just a completed construction project.
A child should not need a registration to have a place to play.
Public fields, courts and flexible mini-spaces support informal practice, friendship and movement alongside organized programs. Community funding can increase usable hours, equipment or infrastructure—but only when there is a viable site and public-use arrangement.
Community-powered means: excellent coaches and providers are paid fairly, family contributions remain affordable wherever possible, and philanthropy supports quality and equitable access. The child’s development—not program revenue—is the benchmark.
01 / Why It Matters
Opportunity Needs Somewhere to Happen.
Not every sports experience needs a team, a registration fee or a season-long commitment.
Children also develop by playing informally: practicing with friends, trying new skills, joining a pickup game or simply having somewhere safe to be active.
But even informal play depends on access: available courts and fields, usable hours, working equipment, lighting and spaces designed for children to actually use them.
Philanthropy can help make existing public assets more usable and create new community play capacity where it is needed.
Fund the Places.
Expand the Hours Kids Can Play.
The research behind the need
In Aspen Institute Project Play’s 2026 national youth survey, 47% of young people who had never played organized sports said they would prefer a public sports facility if they joined.
Aspen Institute Project Play · National Youth Survey (April 2026) ↗
02 / A Miami Beach Story
Elias.
Places — not desire —
were the barrier.
Elias loves sports. But he does not always want another team, another schedule or another registration.
Sometimes he simply wants to meet his friends, bring a ball and play.
That kind of play matters too. It gives children room to experiment, practice, connect with friends and enjoy sport on their own terms.
Give kids a safe place
to practice, play + belong —
no registration required.
03 / Funding Needed
Two Projects. More Places to Play.
MBYSF is seeking philanthropic and corporate partners for two proposed public-space projects in Miami Beach: micro soccer courts on Ocean Drive and dedicated youth fitness hubs at Muscle Beach and Altos Del Mar Park.
These are proposed community funding concepts, not approved construction projects. Final scope, site permissions, installation costs, City responsibilities and public access arrangements must be agreed before implementation.
Fund the opportunity. Activate the space. Keep the benefit public.
Two priority projects / preliminary capital concepts
Both concepts are intended to expand places where children and families can be active close to home. Donations can support a complete facility or form part of a larger pooled project commitment.
01 / Ocean Drive · Micro soccer courts
Small Courts.
Big Community Impact.
$60,000 / Court
3 proposed courts · $180,000 combined base estimate, plus installation
Proposed permanent micro soccer courts would create a public destination for pickup play, skill-building, family activity and community programming.
Designed for children and families of different ages and abilities, with free and low-cost opportunities as described in MBYSF's concept.
Donor opportunity: help fund one court or the complete three-court concept.
Proposed delivery model: MBYSF fundraises, helps implement and activate, then donates the completed improvements; public ownership, maintenance and access would be determined with the City of Miami Beach through the necessary approvals and cooperative agreement. Project status, locations, design and budget remain subject to review. Any donor recognition would require applicable City approval.
02 / Muscle Beach + Altos Del Mar Park · Youth fitness hubs
Outdoor Fitness.
For the Next Generation.
$100,000 / Hub
2 proposed fitness hubs · $200,000 combined base estimate, plus installation
Dedicated youth fitness destinations would complement Miami Beach's existing adult fitness spaces and create opportunities to build strength, confidence and healthy habits.
Proposed activation includes obstacle training, strength and conditioning, run clubs, girls fitness and community wellness activities.
Donor opportunity: underwrite one hub or contribute toward both locations.
Proposed delivery model: MBYSF fundraises, helps implement and activate, then donates the completed improvements; public ownership, maintenance and access would be determined with the City of Miami Beach through the necessary approvals and cooperative agreement. Project status, locations, design and budget remain subject to review. Any donor recognition would require applicable City approval.
Other ways to support public play
Every Gift Can Make More Play Possible.
Alongside the two distinct capital concepts, smaller funding commitments can expand play through equipment, access hours and upgrades. The micro-space item below also shows how to contribute toward one or all three proposed soccer courts; the youth fitness hub remains a separate project above.
$5K–$15K
Pop-Up Play Kits
Equipment + Flexible Play
Fund portable goals, balls, nets, cones and other equipment that can turn available space into an active play environment.
$10K–$25K
Community Play Hours
More Usable Time
Support staffing, supervision or other operating needs that help make existing spaces available to children for additional community play.
$10K–$30K
Court + Play-Space Refresh
Improve Existing Assets
Help refresh smaller courts or play areas so existing community infrastructure becomes more functional, inviting and usable.
$25K–$75K
Lighting + Extended Play
More Hours After School
Support lighting or related improvements that can extend the usable hours of an existing field, court or play area.
$60K–$180K
Micro Multi-Sport Space
Create New Play Capacity
Support the proposed micro soccer courts at an estimated $60,000 per court or $180,000 for three, before installation. Other multi-sport configurations would require separate design and pricing.
$75K–$250K+
Shade + Covered Play
Make Space More Usable
Support larger improvements that can make outdoor play more practical across more hours and more of the year.
The categories above are illustrative giving opportunities. The micro-space line reflects the proposed one-to-three-court base estimates and should not be counted again as an additional project cost; the youth fitness hubs remain a separate proposal.
All ranges are planning estimates and not fixed construction quotes.
Final project scope and cost
depend on site conditions,
permitting,
design,
equipment specifications,
City requirements
and other project-specific factors.
MBYSF would scope each opportunity
with the appropriate public and private partners
before donor commitment.
Your Gift at Work
What Funding Places to Play Makes Possible.
The objective is not simply to purchase equipment or improve a physical asset. It is to translate that funding into more actual opportunities for children to play.
01 / Access
More Usable Hours
Extend the times when community spaces can safely be used by young people.
02 / Play
Lower-Barrier Participation
Create opportunities to play without always requiring registration, a roster or a full-season commitment.
03 / Capacity
More Places for Kids
Improve existing assets or add new space so more children can be active locally.
04 / Community
Shared Public Benefit
Invest in spaces that can support children, families, coaches and community play.
Funding brief / two independent project concepts / installation additional
What your gift changes.
What it actually funds.
The budget is a defined proposal—not a promise that every planned outcome has already been achieved. Before a donor commits, MBYSF and the implementing partner can confirm the final scope, funding designation and intended measures of success.
01 / THE FUNDED WORK
What the gift covers
Current priority concepts: three Ocean Drive micro soccer courts at approximately $60,000 each and two youth fitness hubs at approximately $100,000 each, plus installation. Smaller funding commitments remain possible.
02 / SCOPE + ASSUMPTIONS
What the model means
Each unit estimate is preliminary and excludes installation: $60,000 per proposed micro soccer court and $100,000 per proposed youth fitness hub. Site feasibility, permits, design, City review, final installation budgets, public ownership and long-term maintenance terms remain to be agreed. Neither project is represented as approved.
03 / THE NEXT STAGE
What happens after
Agree the approved site, funding designation, City ownership and maintenance responsibilities, public access schedule, delivery partner and usage measurements before a capital commitment proceeds.
Funds with related purposes are coordinated across the MBYSF portfolio. Each eligible cost and resulting participant outcome is recorded once, even if it advances more than one mission pillar.
04 / How the Model Works
Public Space. Community Investment. More Opportunity.
Miami Beach already has valuable public fields, courts, parks and recreation infrastructure.
MBYSF's role is not to replace that public system. It is to help attract nonprofit and private-sector resources that can make existing assets more useful or help address identified gaps.
When a need is identified, MBYSF can help bring together donors, partners, equipment, expertise and community support around a practical solution.
The City provides the public platform.
Community investment can help it go further.
05 / What We Track
Your Impact Should Create More Play.
Donor reporting should connect the funded project to the community benefit it was intended to create.
Delivery
Project Completed
Track equipment purchased, improvements completed or new play infrastructure delivered through this funding.
Capacity
Usable Hours Added
Where applicable, track additional hours of community access created through funded improvements.
Reach
Children Using the Space
Where practical, track participation and the number of young people benefiting from the space.
Access
Open + Low-Barrier Play
Track opportunities for children to use the space without requiring a team registration or significant participation fee.
Utilization
How the Space Is Used
Look at whether courts, fields or equipment are being used as intended across the community.
Next Need
Remaining Capacity Gaps
Use participation and community feedback to understand where additional hours, equipment or play spaces may be needed.
Measuring the child-first difference
Not just what we deliver.
What changes for children.
These are proposed measures to agree with each donor and implementing partner. Actual results will be reported separately from projections, and duplicate registrations or activities will not be presented as unique children served.
Outputs / what we deliver
- Equipment, facility improvement or open-play hours actually delivered
- Site approvals, operating agreements and accessibility criteria
- Public-use schedule and project costs against approved scope
Outcomes / the difference
- Added free or low-barrier hours for local children
- Use of the new or refreshed space where measurable
- Improved ability to play informally and without club enrollment
A funded program should create an experience a child can access, enjoy, and grow from—not merely another registration or receipt.
Research + Further Reading
Want to Dive Deeper?
Community-based youth sports depend not only on organized programs, but on accessible places where children can be active, play informally and build a lasting relationship with movement and sport.
State of Play · Participation Trends
Aspen Institute Project Play ·
Youth participation,
access + community opportunity
↗
State of Play 2025
Aspen Institute Project Play ·
Community sports systems
+ access
↗
Physical Activity Benefits for Children
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ·
Youth physical activity
+ health
↗
Fund Places to Play
Make More Space for Childhood to Happen.
Children need programs, coaches and pathways to develop. They also need places where they can simply play.
Our immediate concepts are three Ocean Drive micro soccer courts and two youth fitness hubs at Muscle Beach and Altos Del Mar Park. Together, they offer a way to invest in public play capacity that could serve families across generations.
Micro Soccer Courts · $60K Each | Youth Fitness Hubs · $100K Each | Installation Additional
Athlete Access + Pathways
The Local Program Should Be Accessible. The Next Opportunity Should Be Too.
MBYSF's community-powered model is designed to make strong local sports affordable for families.
The Athlete Access + Pathways Fund steps in where that model cannot fully solve the gap: helping families with the greatest financial need cover basic participation costs and helping athletes reach earned next-step development opportunities.
Starting Fund · $5,000
One mission / Access Fund
Do not let finances block the first step—or a fair next step.
Help children participate or advance when a documented financial barrier would otherwise stop them.
The system should reduce barriers before it reimburses costs.
Community investment should make the basic program affordable for everyone. A separate need-based fund can bridge specific remaining barriers to essential participation and, selectively, appropriate earned development opportunities beyond the base program.
Community-powered means: excellent coaches and providers are paid fairly, family contributions remain affordable wherever possible, and philanthropy supports quality and equitable access. The child’s development—not program revenue—is the benchmark.
01 / Why It Matters
Opportunity Does Not End at Registration.
If the MBYSF model works, quality local programming should be affordable and increasingly supported by community investment.
But some children will still need help with even the basic cost of entering the game.
And as athletes develop, new opportunities often appear outside the regular local program: specialized training, camps, showcases, competition and travel.
Those opportunities can matter enormously for an athlete's development — but they can also introduce a new financial barrier.
Don't Let Cost Block the First Step.
Or the Next One.
The research behind the need
The gap in regular sports participation between lower- and higher-income U.S. children increased from 13.6 percentage points in 2012 to 20.2 points in 2024 (SFIA data reported by Aspen Institute Project Play).
Aspen Institute Project Play · 2025 Participation Trends (2024 data) ↗
02 / A Miami Beach Story
Nathan.
Talent should not stall
because the next step costs more.
An athlete can do everything we ask of them: show up, train, compete and earn an opportunity.
Then the next step arrives — and it comes with a new set of costs.
Advanced training, a showcase, tournament travel or another meaningful development opportunity can quickly become something a family has to decide whether it can afford.
Tournament travel should not be the reason
the next opportunity disappears.
03 / Funding Needed
$5K
Starting Athlete Access + Pathways Fund
Start the Fund. Grow the Opportunity.
A $5,000 gift creates an initial flexible pool for need-based athlete support.
Additional gifts expand the number of athletes and opportunities the fund can support.
The athlete should earn the opportunity.
Financial circumstances should not decide
whether they can take it.
01 / Access
Help a Child Get Into the Game.
Reserved for families with the greatest financial need.
Even in a community-powered system, some families may need support with the basic costs required for a child to participate at all.
Registration Fees
Essential Equipment
Uniforms + Required Gear
Other Essential Participation Costs
02 / Pathways
Help an Athlete Reach the Next Step.
Support earned development opportunities beyond the local program.
For athletes progressing beyond regular community programming, the fund can help bridge the higher-cost opportunities that support continued development.
Showcases + Exposure Events
Advanced + Specialized Training
Camps + Development Opportunities
Competition + Tournament Travel
How the Fund Works
Flexible Support. Clear Purpose.
The fund is designed to respond to real athlete needs rather than forcing every family or every opportunity into a fixed scholarship amount.
01 / Identify
The Opportunity
Support begins with a specific sports opportunity or participation need connected to the athlete.
02 / Assess
Financial Need
Awards are need-based and reviewed using consistent criteria rather than athletic ability alone.
03 / Fund
The Specific Gap
Support is matched to the eligible cost preventing participation or advancement.
04 / Follow
The Opportunity
MBYSF tracks what was funded and how support translated into actual athlete participation or development.
$5,000 represents a starting fund,
not a fixed annual ceiling.
Fund size can grow through additional donor support.
Final eligibility criteria,
award limits
and covered expenses
should be formalized as the fund develops.
Awards should remain need-based
and connected to documented sports participation
or athlete-development opportunities.
Funding brief / $5,000 / starting pool, expandable
What your gift changes.
What it actually funds.
The budget is a defined proposal—not a promise that every planned outcome has already been achieved. Before a donor commits, MBYSF and the implementing partner can confirm the final scope, funding designation and intended measures of success.
01 / THE FUNDED WORK
What the gift covers
A flexible $5,000 starting pool with two intended tracks: essential entry costs for high-need families and proportionate support for development opportunities earned by eligible athletes.
02 / SCOPE + ASSUMPTIONS
What the model means
There is no fixed number of awards or guaranteed maximum. Covered expenses, verification standards, caps and award processes must be formalized as the fund is implemented.
03 / THE NEXT STAGE
What happens after
Track whether the specific opportunity actually happened; review both award effectiveness and whether the core program can be made more affordable at the system level.
Funds with related purposes are coordinated across the MBYSF portfolio. Each eligible cost and resulting participant outcome is recorded once, even if it advances more than one mission pillar.
04 / The MBYSF Model
Community-Powered at the Base. Individual Support Where It Matters Most.
MBYSF is building a local sports system where strong coaching and quality programming do not depend entirely on individual family spending.
Philanthropy helps lower the cost of the core local program. The Athlete Access + Pathways Fund then provides an additional layer for the children and opportunities that need more.
That means limited scholarship dollars can be concentrated where they have the greatest impact: on families facing significant financial barriers and athletes reaching meaningful next-step opportunities.
Make the Local Program Accessible.
Keep the Pathway Open.
05 / What We Track
Every Award Should Lead to a Real Opportunity.
Donor reporting should show how Athlete Access + Pathways dollars translated into actual participation and athlete development.
Reach
Athletes Supported
Track the number of athletes receiving need-based assistance through the fund.
Funding
Dollars Awarded
Track total funding distributed and average support per athlete.
Access
Basic Participation Support
Track assistance used for registration, equipment and essential participation needs.
Pathways
Next-Step Opportunities
Track support for showcases, advanced training, camps, competition and travel.
Outcome
Participation Enabled
Track whether funding allowed the athlete to participate in the intended opportunity.
Continuity
Athletes Who Keep Developing
Where practical, follow whether supported athletes remain engaged and continue along their development pathway.
Measuring the child-first difference
Not just what we deliver.
What changes for children.
These are proposed measures to agree with each donor and implementing partner. Actual results will be reported separately from projections, and duplicate registrations or activities will not be presented as unique children served.
Outputs / what we deliver
- Number of applications, approved awards and amounts distributed
- Support separated into essential-access and development tracks
- Documented eligible costs and completed participation opportunities
Outcomes / the difference
- Children enabled to enroll who otherwise faced a barrier
- Athletes taking part in appropriate approved next steps
- Continuation of participation when follow-up is practical
A funded program should create an experience a child can access, enjoy, and grow from—not merely another registration or receipt.
Research + Further Reading
Want to Dive Deeper?
National youth-sports research continues to document rising family spending and meaningful affordability barriers, particularly as athletes move deeper into organized sport.
Family Spending on Youth Sports
Aspen Institute Project Play ·
Cost,
affordability + access
↗
State of Play · Participation Trends
Aspen Institute Project Play ·
Participation,
disparities + access
↗
State of Play 2025
Aspen Institute Project Play ·
Youth-sports systems
+ participation environment
↗
Fund Athlete Access + Pathways
Help a Child Start. Help an Athlete Go Further.
The community-powered model helps make strong local programming accessible.
The Athlete Access + Pathways Fund protects the opportunities that still sit beyond what the core program can provide — from basic participation for families with the greatest need to meaningful next steps for athletes ready to advance.
Starting at $5,000 · Need-Based Access + Athlete Advancement
