Paducah Area Community Sports Initiative

09/04/2026

Thanks to the MCYSA parents and others who came out for the 2026 Fall Volunteer Field Day. We got so much done!
Big thanks to:
Blade Lawn Care
Casa Mexicana
Liga Campeones Paducah KY
Paducah Ultimate Frisbee League

08/29/2026

Come join us to help out our friends at MCYSA. They are having a volunteer field day to help get the fields, buildings, and equipment ready for their fall season. You don't have to be an MCYSA parent or guardian. All community members welcome.

Please join us on Thursday, Sept 3 from 5 to 6:30 PM to help us get the buildings, fields, and goals ready for the Fall 2026 season! Many teams have practice during that time so we are hoping those parents can help out while they are there anyway.

Recommended / requested items:
wire cutters or heavy scissors for cutting zip ties (several)
wrenches / socket sets
light electric push mowers
w**d eaters (several)
leafblowers
chainsaw
heavy duty trash bags
dust masks
rubber gloves and/or work gloves
cleaning supplies (general cleaner, paper towels)
small step stool or folding ladder
small shop vac
pickup trucks (several)
trailer for hauling scrap metal, loose debris, bagged trash, or brush
older siblings to work or help watch young ones

Priority tasks:
Zip tying nets on goals (nets will be evaluated for replacement after this season)
Tightening braces on picnic tables (1/2" wrench / socket)
Mowing / trimming around goals, picnic tables, pavilions, buildings
Removing, some batt insulation from the concession building
Cleaning concession building
Light construction / maintenance at concession building
Bagging trash
Loading, hauling trailer to dump (potentially next business day)
Loading hauling, discarding large scrap items (fridge, etc)
Keeping small children on designated play field away from work areas

If you have a pickup truck or a toolbox or w**deater please bring them!

We understand many of our families have young children. If you can't make it, this opportunity is perfect for aunts, uncles and grandparents or relatives with a business wanting to chip in. Anyone wanting to help with volunteer work can stay in touch with this mobile app at: https://groupme.com/join_group/116812363/InoD1BGG

08/27/2026

Hey Paducah. This is how our neighbors in Cape Girardeau do Sports Tourism. The indoor sports facilities there already add up to more than 2.5x the space of our Expo Center. Now Cape is planning a $23M expansion to nearly double the space of the 92,000 sq ft SportsPlex! How do they do it? They prioritize community access. Their sports tourism facilities are managed directly by their Parks Dept. See the article below for their priorities on partnering with local sports clubs and promoting local sports.

The proposal calls for adding 92,000 square feet on the northwest side of the building, nearly doubling the facility’s footprint.

08/20/2026

Hey Paducah. Our community is not the only one in KY lacking community sports and recreational space. Check out how other communities are using shared-use agreements to use school recreational facilities for community purposes. Indoor and outdoor, for youth and adult. Slides courtesy of KYyouth.org

- Improves safety
- Cultivates partnerships with community organizations
- Improves academic performance
- Increases physical activity opportunities for adults and youth
- Develops opportunities for family time activities
- Encourages community relationships

08/16/2026

A river, trail, or park does not become a strong community asset simply because visitors use it, but rather when residents can access, care for, connect to, and see it as part of local life.

Many rural and small-town communities are encouraged to think about tourism in terms of branding, promotion, and attracting more visitors. Those things matter

08/14/2026

An omega block is an upper level ridge with a low parked on either side of it, and it plays defense the same way a middle blocker does. The storm comes at Kentucky, the hands go up, nothing gets through. That is why Paducah, Mayfield, Benton, and Murray have stayed so quiet this week. It is also why the heat index is running 105 to 115 in the afternoons with an extreme heat warning up through 8 PM Sunday. Quiet weather is not the same as safe weather.

Here is what has been on my mind all week. At a heat index of 110 there is no safe way to put a nine year old on an outdoor field at three in the afternoon, and the Convention Center has indoor court space that sits empty most weekdays between tournaments. The Paducah Area Community Sports Initiative is asking the city and county to open that unused time to local families at affordable rates. They are also asking that free outdoor space get replaced before it disappears. Stuart Nelson Park closed to make room for the Paducah Sports Park. The McCracken County Soccer Complex could be partly closed next, and Sheppard's Field has no settled future.

The block loosens a little Sunday night into Monday; however, rain chances only come back to 20 to 40 percent, which is not enough to break this heat. Summers like this one are going to keep happening, and a gym floor is the answer to a 110 degree heat index.

PACSI is at 216 signatures and needs 500. Signing takes about a minute: https://www.change.org/p/growing-community-through-sports

08/06/2026

ROUND 1 was the community meeting at the MCYSA fields. Good work and THANKS!

ROUND 2 will be a meeting at City Hall and it will be 4-6 weeks from now.

Round 1 was about saving something from going away. But saving the County Soccer Fields was just ONE of our initiatives.

Round 2 is about asking for something new. City and county leaders have heard about these initiatives for a while now and they are asking us to come back in a few weeks and let us know how many people support our 4 major initiatives. These are all things our community can do NOW to make sure our kids and adults have places to play!

We don't take money or pay for advertising. We just need folks like you to follow this page, sign the petition and make sure your family, friends, and neighbors know about it too.

Growing Community Through Sports

08/03/2026

Before the World Cup is too far in the rear view mirror.

USMNT's World Cup ouster has plenty focused on the country's youth development system, a complex —and costly — element in a bigger picture

07/29/2026

THANKS again to everyone who sent emails last week and showed up in person to help keep the county soccer fields open!

We’ve had SO MANY neighbors reach out and ask how they can help. If you want to get more involved with this initiative, let us know at [email protected] We are about so much more than keeping those fields open.

The most impactful thing you can do is help us raise awareness. The online petition below lays out everything this initiative is about. Please SIGN it and SHARE it with others.

Growing Community Through Sports

07/26/2026

This was a big win for community sports in Paducah. This story is being told beyond Paducah because it is important. You all should be proud!!

PADUCAH, Ky. (KBSI) — The future of the McCracken County Youth Soccer Association is uncertain as league leaders wait for answers about whether the