Organized activity (as it pertains to sports field use) refers to any scheduled, structured, or coordinated use of a field involving multiple participants for a common purpose. This may include but not limited to:
Examples may include family soccer games, casual football, or pick-up sports of 10 or less individuals, informal fitness activities, personal exercise, etc.
- Step #1: Contact Sports & Wellness at sportsandwellness@pbc.gov or desired Recreation Center. See Recreation Center contacts on our Recreation Center webpage.
- Step #2: Provide the following information via email:
- Contact Information: First, Last Name, Phone #, Email
- Name of the organization (as listed on Sunbiz)
- Corporate Status (For-Profit or Not-For-Profit)
- Program/Event Name
- Description of Program/Event (Ex: Sport, Rec League, Travel Program, Tournament, Camp, Clinic, etc.)
- Ages of Participants/Teams
- Requested Dates (start and end dates, # of sessions per year, etc.)
- Schedule Needs (Days of week, start and end times per day, etc.)
- Location (Park name, area of county if open to multiple parks, etc.)
- Field/Facility Details (type of field/facility, # of fields, field dimensions needed)
- Any special requests (Ex: DJ’s, charging for admission, inflatables, vendors, etc.)
- Step #3: County staff will confirm within five (5) business days if fields are available to accommodate your request.
- Step #4: If fields are available, County staff will provide you with all required forms and other documentation. If fields are not available, County staff will place you on a Wait List and you will be contacted if/when fields become available.
7. What are permit requirements?
Permit requirements may vary depending upon the type of permit and activity requested. Standard permit requirements may include but not limited to permit request forms, certificate of insurance, background screening and concussion affidavit (youth programs only), detailed activity schedules, proof of corporation, and additional corporate documentation.
8. What information has to be included in my schedule?
Schedules must be detailed and include but not limited to the following information: all dates, days, times, start and end times for each daily timeslot, team names and ages for each time slot. County staff may work with user groups to ensure schedules allow for maximum use of each field.
9. How are fields assigned or allocated?
Field space is determined based on the Department’s Priority of Use Policy, current facility use and availability, recreation programming needs, and operational considerations.
10. Does being on the Wait List guarantee future field space?
No. Availability is determined by the Department’s Priority of Use Policy, current facility use and availability, recreation programming needs, and operational considerations.
11. What are County insurance requirements for use of athletic fields?
12. Can I charge admission during my permitted program or event?
Approval is required before charging admission or collecting revenue on County property. If approved, County may charge 20% of collected revenue.
13. Can I use a baseball field for soccer or football?
No. Athletic facilities must be used for their intended purpose. Soccer and football activities are not typically permitted on baseball or softball fields. Baseball or softball activities are not permitted on multipurpose fields.
14. Can I use a batting cage in a County park without a permit?
Currently, batting cages are managed, maintained, and operated by authorized youth sport providers. Batting cages available for general public use are being planned and are capital infrastructure funding dependent.
15. Can I just rent a portion of the field?
No. Partial fields are not available for rental or permits. The entire field must be rented or permitted.
16. Are fields lined or chalked by the County when I obtain a permit for my game?
- Synthetic turf fields are already lined. Field paint is not permitted on synthetic turf fields.
- All multipurpose field user groups are required to line their own fields. Requests to line multipurpose fields must be approved in advance by County staff.
- For baseball/softball fields, outfield foul lines are lined by County staff. Infield lines must be chalked by user groups. For baseball/softball tournaments, the County will consider requests to chalk infields and is dependent upon maintenance staff availability. Infield drags will be completed Monday through Saturday. Sunday field drags are only considered for tournaments.
17. Can I have vendors during my permitted field time?
Yes. Vendors must be requested and approved in advance and require a Vendor Application, Certificate of Insurance, and description/list of products and/or services offered. Location, placement, and setup for vendors also requires advanced approval. This includes but not limited to food/beverage, merchandise sales, informational exhibitors, demonstrations, inflatables and other amusements, specialized instructors, etc.
18. What are permit fees for use of athletic fields?
19. Will I receive a credit or refund for weather-related cancellations?
Yes, if reported by Noon the next business day and weather event is verified.
20. How do I know if fields are closed?
Field closures are determined by County staff based on weather, safety, maintenance, and field conditions. For organized sports permits, County staff will notify you if/when fields are closed by 3pm whenever possible.
21. What is the latest my first weekday timeslot can start?
The first weekday timeslot must end by 7:45pm at the latest because it allows the second timeslot to start by 8pm and still have a two hour permit prior to 10pm park curfew. So if the first weekday timeslot session is two (2) hours, then the latest it can start is 5:45pm.
22. How many practices can I schedule per week for my teams?
Maximum of two practices per week per team. A 3rd weekly timeslot is allowed per team for game use. If a team must play more than one game per week, they must replace one of their weekly practice timeslots. This allows us to ensure fair and equitable access to athletic facilities by all user groups.