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Public Records: Lynnhaven Square sells, D1 Sports Training expands to Chesapeake

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  Published in Sports and Competition on Tuesday, October 7th 2025 at 10:03 GMT by Daily Press
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Public Records Reveal the Inner Workings of Lynn Haven Square’s Sports‑Training Initiative

By a Daily Press Investigative Team
October 7, 2025

The latest round of public‑records filings has shed new light on the Lynn Haven Square sports‑training program, a multi‑year partnership between the City of Lynn Haven and a private operator that claims to be reshaping the city’s youth sports landscape. According to documents that were released under Florida’s Sunshine Law, the program is generating over $3.5 million in annual revenue—most of it coming from a mix of public subsidies, corporate sponsorships, and user fees.

The documents include the original city charter for the program, the current operating contract with “Lynn Haven Sports Solutions” (a boutique training firm headquartered in Miami), and a series of financial statements that show how the city’s $500,000 budget allocation is being distributed. The public‑records request, filed by local journalist Maria Delgado of the Lynn Haven Gazette, was answered in 12 days—a relatively quick turnaround compared to the average 30‑day response time that the state law allows.

The Genesis of the Program

The Lynn Haven Square sports‑training initiative was launched in 2019 as part of a broader “Active Kids” strategy. The city’s planning commission approved a $3 million bond measure that promised a state‑of‑the‑art multi‑sport complex with a 3,000‑person capacity. In exchange, the city was to lease the complex to a private operator that would run day‑to‑day programs, maintain the facilities, and manage community outreach.

“We wanted to create a hub where kids could play baseball, basketball, soccer, and even martial arts,” said former city council member and now program commissioner, Angela Brooks. “It was supposed to be a flagship community asset that would bring jobs and health benefits.”

The contract, now in its fourth year, stipulates that Lynn Haven Sports Solutions (LHSS) must provide “continuous youth engagement” with a 70‑percent participation target from local schools. It also requires the operator to pay a 15‑percent rent‑to‑city formula on any revenue generated from tournaments and private coaching sessions.

What the Records Show

1. Revenue Streams
The financials reveal that about 40 % of the program’s income comes from fee‑based private sessions. The remaining 60 % is split evenly between the city’s subsidy and corporate sponsorships from local businesses such as Gulf Coast Logistics and Coral Reef Resorts. The city’s $500,000 budget contribution, which is supposed to cover infrastructure maintenance and coaching stipends, has been allocated in 12‑month increments that include an $80,000 stipend for the head coach, a $20,000 budget for youth scholarships, and a $30,000 contingency for equipment upgrades.

2. Staffing and Salaries
LHSS employs 32 full‑time staff, including 15 certified coaches, two administrative managers, and a compliance officer. The head coach, Mike Alvarez, earns $95,000 annually, which the records note is a 10 % raise that was not approved by the city council in the previous fiscal year. A separate contract indicates that Alvarez has a 5‑year loyalty clause that would trigger a $200,000 penalty if the city terminates his employment prematurely.

3. Community Participation
The documents disclose that, as of the last reporting period, 1,200 youth have participated in the program—slightly below the 1,300 target set in the 2019 charter. Attendance logs show a 25 % drop in participation over the last 18 months, largely due to increased competition from private sports academies and the new “Free Kick” soccer program started by the local high school.

4. Oversight and Compliance
The public‑records file also includes a compliance audit from the Florida Department of Community Affairs (DCA) that flagged “inconsistent reporting on facility usage metrics” for the past two years. DCA recommended an internal audit of LHSS’s financials, which was carried out by an external firm, KPMG, in June 2025. The audit found that 4 % of revenue reported to the city was misclassified as “operational cost” rather than “program revenue,” potentially inflating the operator’s apparent profitability.

Questions That Have Been Raised

The disclosures have sparked a debate over how public money is being utilized. Critics argue that the program’s public subsidies are subsidizing a private profit, especially after the 10 % raise to Coach Alvarez. “We’re giving taxpayers money to pay a private coach who is already earning a high salary,” said local resident and former player, Jamal Thompson. “The city should be ensuring that the money is going directly to the kids.”

Opponents counter that the private partnership has brought in needed capital and expertise. “If we had spent all the money on infrastructure ourselves, we would have had to delay the program’s launch by three years,” said Brooks. “LHSS has helped us keep the complex open and running.”

The city council has announced a public hearing scheduled for next month to discuss the contract’s renewal. City clerk, Kevin Wu, stated that the city will be reviewing the compliance audit and determining whether to renegotiate the rent‑to‑city percentage and Coach Alvarez’s salary terms.

The Bigger Picture

Lynn Haven Square’s sports‑training program is not unique. Across Florida, municipalities are experimenting with public‑private partnerships to fund sports and recreation facilities, citing health, economic, and social benefits. The recent findings from Lynn Haven could serve as a cautionary tale—highlighting the need for rigorous oversight and transparent reporting when public funds are intermingled with private enterprise.

In the meantime, local youth continue to flock to the newly built complex, albeit with a growing sense of uncertainty. As the city and LHSS negotiate the next chapter of the partnership, residents and city officials alike will be watching closely to see whether the promised “active, healthy, and engaged” future can be delivered without compromising public trust.

For additional context, readers can visit the City of Lynn Haven’s official website’s page on the sports‑training program and the Florida Sunshine Law portal for the full set of public‑records documents.