Shaker Heights city, schools to consider creating joint youth sports administrator position

SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio — Shaker Heights officials will consider a proposal for the city and schools to create a new position to promote and expand access to youth sports in the city.

City council’s Recreation Committee will meet virtually at 6 p.m. Wednesday to hear a presentation on the two bodies splitting the cost of hiring a Youth Sports Administrator, according to the meeting agenda.

The proposal, which was attached to the meeting agenda on the city’s website, suggests a total salary and benefits of about $70,000 for the position to be filled sometime next year.

The administrator would work with the city‘s recreation department and the school district’s building and grounds department to organize new youth sports leagues, and coordinate outreach efforts to get parents and students to sign up.

The administrator could also have access to money in the city and district’s budget to help offset costs of youth sports for needy families.

Currently, no school district employee is tasked with youth athletics for students younger than middle school, and a single full-time city employee and seasonal and part-time staff are in charge of running all of the city’s youth sports programs, according to the proposal.

Both council and Shaker Heights City Schools Board of Education school board would have to adopt the proposal and set aside money in their budgets for the position to take effect.