Building the Future of Sidney Athletics
Where does all of our fundraising go?
Year after year, the Sidney Athletic Association works hard to raise money for our kids, our programs, and our community.
Through our bi-annual Cash Raffles, Spaghetti Dinner, Snack Shack, and other fundraising efforts, our volunteers work hard to bring in money that can be invested right back into Sidney recreation.
But what exactly are we raising money for?
The SAA Board of Directors has been working behind the scenes on a bigger vision for the Sidney recreation fields—and we’re excited about what the future could look like.
We’ve outgrown our facility, and it’s time for our fields to grow with us.
OUR FIVE-YEAR VISION
Stadium Lighting at Pit 1 & Pit 2
One question we hear from parents and spectators year after year is:
“Why don’t you put lights on the fields so the kids can play after dark?”
We’ve heard you—and we’re exploring what it would take to make it happen.
Stadium lighting could provide some major benefits for Sidney athletics:
- More practice time for fall sports. As the days get shorter, fall soccer loses valuable field time. Lighting could allow practices to continue later into the evening—even during those early sunsets in October.
- More opportunities for our kids. Spring baseball players currently get the chance to experience playing under the lights at Workman Field in Belgrade. We’d love to eventually offer that same experience to all of our athletes right here in Sidney.
- More tournament opportunities. Summer softball tournaments are currently limited to daylight hours. Evening field availability could allow us to host more games and potentially generate additional rental revenue for the facility.
- More ways to use our fields. Lighting would give our community greater flexibility to use the fields for practices, games, tournaments, and special events.
We’ve already started researching grant opportunities and talking with vendors and other contacts about what this project could look like.
Now, we need to build the funding to get the ball rolling.
A New Playground for Sidney Kids
Our current swingset has served the community for a long time—but it’s also long overdue for an upgrade.
Think about how many children use the recreation fields throughout the year. During rec seasons, tournaments, practices, and summer days at the park, there are kids everywhere.
We want our youngest community members to have a safe, fun place to play, too.
We’re researching playground grant opportunities and beginning to look at what type of playground, size, layout, and equipment would make the most sense for our space and our community.
Our goal is simple: create a playground our kids can enjoy for years to come.
Help Us Build the Future
These projects are big—and we know they won’t happen overnight.
Because the recreation fields and Recreation Drive are Town of Sidney property, any major improvements will require coordination and approval from the Town.
That’s where our community comes in.
If these are improvements you’d love to see at the Sidney recreation fields, we encourage you to share your support and ideas with our town leaders and with the SAA.
The more our community talks about what it wants for the future of Sidney recreation, the better we can understand what matters most to the families we serve.
Have an idea?
We want to hear it!
If there’s something you’d love to see at the fields—or an idea for how we can make our fundraising dollars go even further—send us an email at sidneymeathletics@gmail.com.
Can you help?
Maybe you have a connection to a contractor, playground company, lighting company, grant opportunity, business, or organization that could help us save money or find resources.
Know someone who knows someone? Tell us!
The right connection could help turn one of these ideas into reality faster and at a lower cost.
Want to donate?
We’d love to hear from you.
Donations specifically supporting our future facility improvements are always welcome and deeply appreciated. Every dollar raised brings us one step closer to creating a better recreation space for Sidney’s kids and families.
We’re Just Getting Started
The Sidney Athletic Association isn’t just about sports.
It’s about kids. Families. Community.
It’s about creating a place where our children can learn, compete, play, make friends, and make memories—and where families can come together and enjoy their community.
We’re proud of what we’ve built at the Sidney recreation fields.
Now we’re dreaming about what’s next.
Thank you for supporting the SAA, supporting our fundraisers, volunteering your time, and believing in what we’re building for the next generation of Sidney kids.
We can’t do it without you—and we can’t wait to see where we go together.