Valley youth-sports projects are about to receive their first broad infusion of money from the Tourism and Sports Authority since voters approved the concept four years ago, and local recipients are enthused.

Though only $1.3 million in grants will be doled out this go-round, recipients and likely users of the facilities say the financial commitment to community recreation is welcome and long overdue.

"I know the community is very, very excited," said Carol Poore, vice provost of public affairs at Arizona State University West, which is expected to receive $150,000.

The authority's Youth and Amateur Sports Committee recommended 13 grants Wednesday that will help finance a range of facilities and programs, from loaner-skates for a Glendale youth program to a new park in Queen Creek.

The grants, subject to final approval later this month by the full authority board, are funded with revenues from a countywide hotel-bed tax and rental-car surcharge approved by voters in 2000. The tax is paying for a new $370 million stadium in Glendale for the Arizona Cardinals, as well as statewide tourism promotion activities and Cactus League baseball improvements.

The authority has previously allotted $4 million for an Avondale youth sports complex and $150,000 for ball fields at the South Mountain YMCA, but Wednesday's action represents the first attempt to fund a variety of projects Valley-wide.

The grants were winnowed from 95 requests totaling $35 million submitted last year. A 21-member advisory committee composed of parks, recreation and athletic-program experts from throughout the Valley established criteria for the awards and recommended those endorsed Wednesday.

Need matching funds

Most are contingent on matching funds from other organizations to pay for the balance of project costs.

The largest single grant was $500,000 to Mesa to help build a downtown Aquatic Center that City Manager Mike Hutchinson predicted will attract national or international swim meets. The $36 million project also will draw funding from city tax revenues and private donations.

"It'll be huge," said Lorie Tucker, 37, a Mesa mother of four and a competitive swimmer who, with her 12-year-old daughter, Brooklyn, belongs to the Desert Thunder Aquatics swim club. "There is a huge community of swimmers here . . . and there are a lot of people out there who are looking for some kind of indoor facility."

Mesa hopes to land $6 million from the authority over the next eight years to help fund the Aquatic Center, Hutchinson said. The authority will consider additional funding for Mesa later.

Two other grants of $150,000 apiece were recommended for the Murphy Elementary School District's Arthur Hamilton School and ASU West, respectively. The grant to Hamilton School, at 19th Avenue and Durango Road, will help build a baseball field and basketball court.

The ASU West grant, when combined with two other large grants, will build the ASU West Community Park at 51st and Sweetwater avenues. It will have ball diamonds; combination football/soccer fields; basketball, volleyball and tennis courts; picnic ramadas and an amphitheater.

Though some neighbors have expressed concern about increased traffic, Bill Burch, 67, a retiree living nearby, said many look forward to the amenities, particularly since the nearest park is at least a mile away.

"I think this will be a positive move," he said.

Not all of the grants are so large. For example, the NFL Youth Education Town Academy, a downtown Phoenix charter school, was recommended for $46,000 to finance a football scoreboard, football and soccer goal posts, flagpoles and bleachers.

Fixing up fields

Candice Tolliver, 14, of Phoenix, a ninth-grade cheerleader, said lights were installed at the field a few years ago and "they're fixing it up little by little."

Valyscia Altamirano, 15, another ninth-grade cheerleader who plays on the school's volleyball team, said students have been awaiting the new scoreboard for months.

"It's really nice," Altamirano said. "Last year, we were so proud of it we put a picture of it in the yearbook."

About $3.8 million in other grant requests were deferred Wednesday to a separate committee to determine whether other funding partners could be found.

Action on those could come later this year, authority President Ted Ferris said.