08-21-00 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

STATEMENT OF NEED Hastings is located East of the Twin Cities and is in Dakota County, which is in the United States Congressional District 6. 17, 263 people comprise Hastings. It continues to grow with steady residential, commercial and industrial development. 5, 183 Students attended Independent School District 200 in 1999. Of those students 364 received free lunches and 223 received reduced lunches. The Hastings Youth Athletic Association(HYAA)is a Minnesota non-profit, 501 (C)3 corporation. Our mission is to promote, foster and perpetuate the game of soccer,baseball and softball for players in a positive environment; to teach and enhance youth skills,players self-esteem and physical fitness, while instilling a lifelong passion for the sport. HYAA is a parent run organization that began in 1982 with 468 youth involved, in 1987 our numbers increased to 1,629. In 2000 we served 2, 158 youth from the ages of five to 19 years old. HYAA has worked closely with the City of Hastings and School district 200 in providing over 34,000 youth the opportunity to play soccer, softball and baseball since 1982. Soccer has been provided in both spring and summer. Due to an increase demand and desire to play soccer, a fall league was started in 1998. We currently do not have adequate fields to meet our increased demand and have been using ponding basins and empty land to meet these needs. The City of Hastings has agreed to develop a 14-acre multi use, all year round sports facility. This facility will have two soccer fields that will be used for youth in grades 41h through 861. This facility will be handicap accessible and comply with the American with Disability Act. The city will fund all ongoing costs of this facility and will maintain it. They have and will continue to provide HYAA with the use of these facilities at no cost to our program. The City of Hastings, Hastings School District 200 and HYAA believe that nothing is more important than our youth. Our program provides a safe outlet for after school activities, it increases the youth self esteem and keeps parents involved in the lives of their children. Developing this sport complex with two additional soccer fields is a small step in the right direction to providing for these needs,especially those of our future, our children. Our whole community stands to benefit. F