Key Takeaways
- Sports CLUB secured seven acres in Ave Maria for a 40,000 square-foot sports complex serving eastern Collier County
- The non-profit projects construction costs between $10 million and $25 million, with $2 million currently raised
- The organization serves nearly 1,000 children daily across its Naples facility and five school locations at $12-15 per day
- Sports CLUB has awarded $5.5 million in scholarships since launching in 1999 with six children
- Target timeline includes breaking ground within 18-24 months and completing construction 12-24 months later
Addressing Eastern Collier County’s Facility Gap
Sports CLUB of Naples is planning its largest expansion since purchasing its 20,000 square-foot Naples headquarters in 2011. The non-profit has secured seven acres from Barron Collier in Ave Maria to build a 40,000 square-foot sports complex targeting the underserved area between Highway 951 and Immokalee.
“Between 951 and Immokalee, there is no great facility. What indoor space is there for kids? Nothing,” said Chief Operating Officer Bill Carufe. “So where can you go to a summer camp in the rain and the heat. There is nothing.”
The planned facility will include multi-purpose sports fields, an indoor sports complex, classrooms, and community spaces. Sports CLUB also intends to add evening adult sports leagues to the programming mix.
Capital Campaign Requirements and Timeline
The organization faces a significant fundraising gap between its current $2 million in commitments and the projected $10 million to $25 million construction cost. CEO Lane Beatty and COO Bill Carufe are targeting an 18-24 month timeline to secure sufficient funding for groundbreaking, followed by an additional 12-24 months for construction.
“While we are grateful for this early support, it represents only a fraction of what is needed to bring the facility to life,” Carufe stated. He noted that the Golden Gate Estates area of eastern Collier County lags behind other parts of the county in philanthropic support despite growing demand for affordable indoor youth programming.
Sports CLUB operates as a self-sustaining non-profit once facilities are established. Beatty emphasized this model to potential donors: “We need people to think for one year to redirect their charitable giving to Sports CLUB. Once we get the building up, we are a self-sustaining non-profit.”
Current Operations and Affordability Model
Sports CLUB currently operates from its Naples headquarters at 3275 Pine Ridge Road and maintains after-school programs at five schools throughout Collier County. The organization serves approximately 220 children daily at its sports complex and 100 children at each school location through 6:30 p.m. Summer camps accommodate more than 245 children, with additional programming including before-school care and twice-monthly Parents Night Out events.
The pricing structure remains at $12 per day at the central facility and $15 per day at school locations. Children are grouped by grades K-2 and 3-6, with activity rotations every 45 minutes allowing participants to choose from three to four options including various sports, arts and crafts, homework time, and snacks.
Sports CLUB buses students from most elementary schools to the main sports complex while maintaining the five on-site school programs.
Growth Through Accessibility and Scholarships
Sports CLUB launched in 1999 serving six children per day at two local schools before expanding to a dozen schools. The organization has awarded $5.5 million in scholarships throughout its history, maintaining a policy of not turning away families due to financial constraints.
“I don’t want kids to not be able to come to Sports CLUB because of money,” Beatty stated. “Sports CLUB does not say no to people that need help.”
Beatty, a former PE teacher at Vineyards Elementary, founded the organization after observing declining outdoor play among children compared to his own childhood in Harbor Springs, Michigan. The model emphasizes recreating neighborhood play environments where children can engage in unstructured activities with peers.
Building Capacity for Eastern Collier’s Growth
The Ave Maria expansion targets a geographic area experiencing residential growth without corresponding youth recreation infrastructure. Carufe identified the lack of climate-controlled facilities as a particular constraint during Florida’s summer heat and frequent rain.
“The demand for affordable indoor space for after-school, summer programming, and youth sports is already here,” Carufe noted. “The kids are here. The families are here. What we need now is the community’s help to build the space that makes it all possible.”
The organization continues operating its existing facilities while pursuing the capital campaign, with Beatty maintaining focus on the core mission: “Give them a place where they are comfortable and can play with their friends and have good old-fashioned fun.”
via: Florida Weekly
photo: ANDREA STETSON / FLORIDA WEEKLY
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