Montgomery County, MD

Parks and Recreation Athletic Field Business Plan

In 2018, M-NCPPC-Montgomery County Department of Parks hired PROS Consulting to prepare a customized sports field needs assessment study and business plan. This process supported evaluation of the various assets’ ability to meet demand (scheduled utilization) within the existing capacity. Montgomery County Parks serves a population of over 1 million people and operates 421 parks across 36,895 acres, which includes 303 athletic fields.

The Plan was completed in 2019. The Athletic Field Business Planning process was multipronged, including an assessment of existing ballfields by planning area in the county, and how they are permitted and used. Benchmarking with other larger agencies similar in size to Montgomery County Parks with similar number of ballfields to manage. Analysis of the county’s demographics by planning area and the growth and decline of youth sports in those planning areas. Consideration of national trends in youth sports and where sports are growing or declining by sport and age group. Extensive community engagement that included a youth league and sports team survey, individual stakeholders’ meetings with major sports organizations in the county, and meetings with the county’s permits office which help the planning team to determine what elements of the Athletic Field Management process needs more focus.