Park City parent Chris Baer’s family was at its breaking point a couple of years ago.
Like many American families, his three kids opted to play club sports as middle schoolers because there were no school-based options.
Club play is more competitive, but also more expensive and demanding for families. With Baer coaching and each child playing a different sport, the family never had time to eat dinner together.
Things came to a head at a club tournament.
“Some parents got together, we were club coaches, and we said, ‘Hey, look, we're in Mesquite, Nevada, at a tournament, and the two Park City teams are playing against each other,’” he said. “So why are we leaving our town, much less our state, to do this?”
So, Baer and other Park City parents created City League in 2025. The nonprofit partners with Basin Recreation to provide recreational sports for local kids in first through fifth grade, with over 800 kids participating during the first year.
Now, City League is looking to partner with the Park City School District to expand offerings to middle schoolers. Baer presented a proposal to the Board of Education May 19.
About 70% of American children stop playing organized sports by age 13 due to injury and burnout, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Those who quit can have a difficult time returning to sports. Kids who stay often must focus on a single sport with increased pressure to perform. In either case, young athletes can be more prone to injury.
“The amount of reconstructive knee surgeries that we're seeing for high school athletes, it's unprecedented,” Baer said. “All sports psychologists, physiologists are all about you should be a well-diversified athlete.”
Through a City League and Park City School District partnership, Baer hopes to get more local middle schoolers back into sports. Every kid would get the chance to play, regardless of skill level.
The nonprofit ran a pilot this year with Ecker Hill Middle School, putting together coed basketball and handball teams. For the 2026-2027 school year, they want to make the partnership official. The nonprofit plans to host soccer, cross country and flag football in the fall, basketball, wrestling and e-sports in the winter, and baseball, softball and handball in spring.
Baer said families would still sign up through the Basin Recreation website, but the teams would be Ecker Hill branded. Some coaches would be teachers, while others would be City League employees.
“I think what would be more compelling for a sense of belonging for athletes, for a sense of identity, for a sense of kind of being part of the community, is to be on … the Park City Middle School basketball team,” he said.
Board members were excited about the proposal, especially Eileen Gallagher, who is a pediatrician. She said a lot of data show it’s important to keep kids in multiple sports until at least middle school, if not through high school.
A memorandum of understanding for the program is being drafted and will be presented to the board for approval in June.
