Keeping America’s youth active and physically fit is a priority for many communities, towns and cities and many groups or organizations want to see to it that the children of their community have a safe place to play.  To ensure that kids have a safe place to play and the equipment to stock the athletic areas created are provided through state and local Youth Athletic Facilities programs.

These Youth Athletic Facilities programs provide funding to applicants in order for them to acquire, develop, equip, maintain and improve community athletic facilities, and most of these programs are funded by individual states with contributions from individual corporations and athletic organizations such as local sports teams and other interested parties.
The Youth Athletic Facilities program provides funding to acquire, develop, equip, maintain, and improve community athletic facilities.

To qualify as an athletic facility, the facility usually has to be dedicated to the purpose of sports and athletics, so things like playgrounds and tot lots are not eligible for these kinds of funds.  Typical projects would include building ball fields or community swimming pools or tennis or basketball courts; renovating fields by adding lights, artificial turf or drainage systems or buying land for the building of facilities.

Normally funds held for youth athletic facilities by the state can be applied for by cities, counties or non-profit organizations that take an active interest in youth or community athletic activities.  Some states pay for the entire cost, while others require that the city, community or organization match the funds provided by the state.

If you belong to a community organization that wants to construct a youth facilities center, if you can generate enough local interest and get backing from local companies, you can put together a plan for the construction and maintenance of the facility and draw up a proposal that can be brought before a local city or county counsel.  Once the plan has been presented the counsel can then apply directly for the state-funded grant money for these sorts of athletic facilities.

Keep in mind that in order to receive funding you not only need to have a plan for the construction of the site laid out, but you will need to be able to prove that there is enough community interest to keep local organizations invested in the upkeep and maintenance and staffing of the facility.  But with some attention to detail you can soon be having a safe place for your children to play and participate in their sports.