Olathe families who have played girls softball at city complexes for generations could see a new operator running the program as soon as Jan. 1, 2027.
The city issued a request for proposals for softball programming at the Olathe Girls Softball Complex and the Lone Elm Complex, the Johnson County Post reported. The move opens a competitive bidding process that could displace the Olathe Girls Softball Association (OGSA), which has partnered with the city since 1988.
Proposals were due Oct. 7. The city's tentative schedule calls for contracts to be awarded this month, with an initial three-year term starting Jan. 1, 2027. Olathe could select one operator or split access among multiple organizations, including OGSA.
The association's backers spoke at the Tuesday, Sept. 15 Olathe City Council meeting, urging the city to preserve the partnership. Hayleigh Hess, OGSA's newly appointed vice president, played in the association as a child and coaches her four daughters there.
"I ask you to look beyond the bid … the volunteers and their families, and most importantly, look at the girls," Hess told the council.
Association representatives warned that replacing a nonprofit operator with a for-profit organization could raise costs for families.
Roots go back to 1983
OGSA purchased about 16 acres at 151st Street and Pflumm Road for $109,200 in 1983 to build softball fields, the Johnson County Post reported. Five years later, the association entered a formal partnership with the city under a 1988 contract. OGSA built the fields, concession stands and restrooms. The city added lighting, walkways, seating and landscaping.
The agreement called for OGSA to transfer the property to Olathe around April 1990. The city took over the mortgage and maintenance. OGSA kept priority scheduling and ran its leagues.
A 2026 agreement lists a $123,378 annual fee OGSA pays the city in six installments, plus 5% of concession profits.
Financial strain and internal friction
Federal tax filings show OGSA's expenses exceeded revenue for three straight years. The deficit was $163,250 in 2023, narrowed to about $73,000 in 2024 and roughly $30,000 in 2025. By the end of 2025, the association held $22,916 in net assets.
OGSA Secretary Darren Elliott denied financial problems to the Johnson County Post but acknowledged that declining league participation and tournament rainouts over the summer hurt revenue.
The filings do not show whether OGSA missed any payments to the city. The city has not addressed the association's payment history.
Steve Dickey, a softball coach who served on OGSA's board from 2021 to 2023, described a shift in how families use the sport. Competitive teams increasingly want weekday practice time and weekend tournaments rather than weekday league play, he said. Dickey alleged the association was slow to adapt and said frustrations with scheduling, communication and favoritism led to his resignation.
Elliott described the city’s approach to bidding. He said the city first raised the idea of competitive bidding at a December 2025 meeting, telling the association other organizations had expressed interest in the fields. Elliott told the Johnson County Post the association has never received a clear explanation beyond the city saying it wanted to do something different.
What the city says
In a statement to the Johnson County Post, the city said its goal is keeping quality softball opportunities in Olathe while managing public facilities. The request for proposals weighted qualifications, experience and feasibility of an operational plan most heavily. Financial return to the city ranked lower.
Elliott said his understanding of the process has evolved since the September council meeting. The association submitted a proposal seeking its traditional tournament weekends. Elliott said he believes the city wants to establish direct relationships with other organizations that OGSA previously rented unused dates to.
The association intends to continue even if it does not win the bid, Elliott said. The board is exploring other options.
