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The City currently has formal agreements with a variety of service providers within the Dublin community, including Dublin Soccer League, Dublin Middle Tier Soccer League, Ohio Football Club, Ohio Premier, Dublin Youth Athletics, Columbus Cricket Club, Dublin School District and Children’s Hospital. The arrangements provide partnership opportunities that enhance the offerings to the community.

In addition to formal arrangements, there are a variety of general or informal agreements, primarily with the Dublin City Schools. A variety of adult sports leagues, youth camps, programs and activities are provided by the City on Dublin City Schools’ properties. This partnership is truly for the greater good of the community. However, because the agreements are informal, they change from year to year and relationships have to be built with each school independently.

Partnership advantages include maximizing existing resources, widening the offerings scope and providing opportunities for program areas otherwise limited by their excessive resource consumption.

The large inventory of other service providers allows continuing opportunities for the City to enhance its offerings, maximize resources and, in some cases, eliminate service duplications.

The division is experiencing particular space limitations within its facilities, primarily at the DCRC. The most apparent space needs include gymnasium/multi-purpose areas, fitness equipment areas, aerobics/fitness classrooms, indoor competition pool space, senior services lounge, storage space and staff office space.

There are trends currently developing within the City that indicate athletic field space will become limited in the future. Youth sports are becoming increasingly more competitive in nature. This is a national recreation industry trend and is not unique to Dublin.

Information provided by Dublin’s recognized recreational youth athletic organizations (DYA and DSL) indicate that participation numbers for recreational programs have leveled off during the past few years. However,

participation in competitive youth athletics has increased.

The City recognizes recreational youth sports as its priority to the community. The competitive youth sports organizations currently share playing fields. As competitive youth sport participation continues to increase, there will inevitably be a move to edge out recreational programs as the two organization types compete for available resources. The demand will make maintaining quality athletic fields challenging.