The new Go Miners Athletic Foundation — a parent-led organization — was at the Park City School District Board of Education’s Jan. 20 meeting to talk athletics.
Foundation Vice President Sarah Elder said the group aims to strengthen Park City’s athletics programs so all students can participate in sports, build life skills and celebrate school pride.
“Our goal is to ensure that no matter what sport a student plays or what team they join, they feel supported and that their program has the resources it needs to grow,” she said.
The foundation plans to serve all sanctioned sports and athletic clubs at Park City High.
Elder said while the district has made investments to provide world-class opportunities for students to play sports outdoors, there are still gaps for indoor opportunities. On top of that, she said coaches are competing for facility time and students often have to travel long distances to train.
That’s why the foundation is working to help the district fund the third phase of its athletics master plan. Cost estimates from the 2024 athletics master plan place the project’s price tag between $86 million and $94 million.
The board approved phases one, two and four of the plan in November 2024. Phase 1 includes new softball and baseball fields by Treasure Mountain Junior High. Phase 2 involves demolishing Treasure Mountain and building two soccer fields and eight tennis courts in its place. Phase 4 is a revamp to Dozier Football Field with a new track, turf and accessory buildings.
The unapproved Phase 3 includes renovating the Park City High gym, music section and building a field house.
Foundation President Jess McCurdy said field houses with updated weight rooms, indoor turf fields and multi-sport training spaces are becoming the norm. Brighton, Morgan, Corner Canyon and West Field high schools all have adjacent field houses.
“These aren't luxury add-ons. They're part of a growing recognition that athletic spaces are about much more than competition,” McCurdy said. “They support physical and mental wellness. They reduce missed class time. They give students consistency and coaches the tools they need to grow strong programs.”
Elder said the foundation also aims to reduce sports barriers by covering uniform, transportation and equipment costs for students who need help.
To raise money for this, the foundation will launch a capital campaign and its leaders say they plan to streamline fundraising.
“Right now, each team fundraises independently, often through separate nonprofits, which leads to a lot of duplicated efforts and donor fatigue,” Elder said. “Over time, our goal is to create a shared system that supports bigger opportunities, like grants, sponsorships and annual giving, while reducing that pressure on coaches and parents.”
Elder said the group’s last goal is to build a centralized communication hub. Their planned website, parkcityminer.org, will give families one place to find information about every sport at the high school.
The foundation has applied to become a 501(c)(3) nonprofit so it can accept tax-deductible donations, apply for grants and ensure transparency.
It will ask the board of education to recognize the foundation as a component unit of the district at the board’s Feb. 24 meeting.
