City waives fees for youth sports

Council approves elimination of paying for registration until fall 2023 to stem declining enrollment; uniforms, trophies are extra

Carson's youth sports programs recently became more accessible — and will stay that way for more than a year.

The City Council voted this week to waive those fees through the fall 2023 youth sports season. Carson also will retroactively nix fees for those enrolled in this summer's programs.

Families who already paid for this summer's programs will be issued a refund or credit.

The city will subsidize the registration fees for all Carson residents through its utility use tax fund, which has generated about $8 million in revenue annually since voters originally approved it in 2009.

Carson's utility-users' tax is collected by its service providers, Southern California Edison and Southern California Gas Co. The providers then pay that money back to the city. Adults at least 62 years old and low-income households are exempt from the city's utility-users' tax.

Carson's youth sports enrollment has seen a decline in the past few years, according to Community Services Director Michael Whittiker. The 202122 youth sports season had about 750 fewer participants than the 2017-18 season, Whittiker said.

“We've had some trying times in regards to people losing jobs and people being laid off,” Whittaker said during the City Council meeting Tuesday. “We also have residents who cannot afford some of the services that we actually offer here in the city of Carson — and we want to take that into consideration.”

Generally, enrolling in a Carson youth

— Community Services Director Michael Whittiker

“We've had some trying times in regards to people losing jobs and people being laid off. We also have residents who cannot afford some of the services that we actually offer here in the city of Carson — and we want to take that into consideration.”

athletics program costs anywhere from $25 to $85, depending on the sport and season. Those costs don't include uniforms, team photos or trophies.

“If we can get half of those (700 kids) who didn't participate in the program,” Mayor Lula Davis Holmes said, “it (would) mean the world to me.”

Beyond Carson's city limits, nonprofit groups and advocates have championed “play equity” — the idea that all children, regardless of socioeconomic standing, should have fair access to sports programs and structured outdoor activities.

Project Play, one such nonprofit, has reported that children and communities with higher youth sports participation tend to have better long-term health, academic and social outcomes.

“A mountain of evidence now documents the physical, mental, social, emotional, cognitive and academic benefits that flow to youth whose bodies are in motion,” the Project Play website says. “We also know communities thrive when they promote policies and develop infrastructure that encourage sport and recreation activity.”

Carson officials echoed that Tuesday and expressed a desire to help Carson kids get more involved in outdoor physical activities.

“The kids have to get used to being outside and doing things,” Councilman Jim Dear said at the meeting. “So many kids are on video games all day long. Some of them get very little exercise — and that's not a healthy, wellrounded life for our young people.”