July 15, 2026, 5:07 a.m. ET
The first multi-sport field at the Charlie Ward Champions Ranch is expected to be completed by fall.The project, led by former NBA star Charlie Ward and his wife Tonja, aims to provide new opportunities for local youth.Fundraising remains a challenge, with the project’s cost doubling to $12 million due to rising prices.
The first multi-sport field at the new Charlie Ward Champions Ranch is slated to be complete by the fall — opening new opportunities for local youth to develop skills.
Ward, a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback for the Florida State Seminoles under then-Coach Bobby Bowden, shared a detailed update on social media about the project’s progress.
“Curbs are down. Pads are ready. Asphalt is coming. Sports Fields Inc. is on-site to start building our first field,” wrote Ward, who went on to play 11 seasons of professional basketball, mostly with the New York Knicks.
“The cafe design is being finalized for permitting by end of July. And on the east side of campus, acres of trees are staying put, future trails, forest paths, and a home for our gopher tortoise friends.”
He went on to say, “This is the dirt where champions take root” while asking for continued support to see the project to the finish line: “We cannot get to ribbon cutting for the field in 2026 and cafe in 2027 without your support. Your gift today moves this dream forward.”
The project is split into phases and located off of Capital Circle Southeast near Woodville Highway. Roughly $12 million is needed for Phase I(A) that’s made up of the multi-sport field and cafe building; as of July 1, roughly $11 million has been secured. You can donate to the project at wardfoundation.org,
Once complete, the Champions Ranch will house several structures on its 112 acres and should take about 10 to 15 years to complete. Phase 1 and 2 are tagged to be done within the next five years.
The Christian-focused project is the brainchild of Ward, who’s now head men’s basketball coach for the Florida A&M Rattlers, and his wife Tonja Ward. Both founded the Ward Family Foundation.
In an interview with the Tallahassee Democrat this week, Tonja Ward said progress is happening and they’re “celebrating each moment.” But, she said, fundraising and rising costs have been the biggest challenge.
The original estimated cost for the multi-sport field and cafe was $6 million. It spiked to $12 million and is “still climbing,” Ward said. She said the escalating cost is a byproduct of “when we finally get to the point of pricing, things have changed.”
“We are really working hard to get these last dollars in so that we can finish paying off this first multi-sport field and build a cafe and then shift to the next phase,” Ward said.
“The ongoing challenge is going to be fundraising. A project like this is expensive … As a nonprofit, where we’re not taking on investor income that we have to pay back with interest, it just makes it a slower process. But we’re patient, and that patience is what got us to where we are today.”
The project, she said, has received varying levels of support from private donors and roughly $966,600 in state funding that was spearheaded by state Sen. Corey Simon, R-Tallahassee, and state Rep. Jason Shoaf, R-Port St. Joe.
“There were a lot of conversations that we had over several years that led to the actual appropriation application,” Ward said. “For it to be awarded was a tremendous blessing. It just showed the belief the community has and what this can do for the region.”
The goal is to announce ribbon-cutting details and when the first field will be open at the foundation’s Fourth Annual Champions Breakfast on Oct. 30, featuring pro baseball legend Gary Sheffield. It’s anticipated that programs will start in winter 2027.
Champions Ranch will feature more than sports
In addition to the sports programming, Ward said there are plans to have other youth-based activities including a “Noon New Year’s Eve” celebration with a countdown at 11:59 a.m. It will include activities from the ranch’s partners and STEM activities, too.
“It’s really something our kids grew up experiencing when we lived in Houston,” Ward said. “The museum there would sponsor a New Year’s Eve celebration and when we came to Tallahassee and didn’t see a big community event like that, it’s been something in our hearts for quite some time.”
It’s another example of how the ranch hopes to brings sports and community to the forefront, all while celebrating and uplifting children and families.
Another effort will be a partnership with the FSU Rebound & Recovery program within the university’s College of Social Work’s Stoops Center for Communities, Families, and Children.
“Grounded in the science of early childhood development and informed by cognitive behavioral and trauma-responsive practices, Rebound and Recovery provides a dual-impact model — strengthening individual child outcomes while simultaneously equipping caregivers and educators with sustainable, evidence-based strategies that foster emotional growth, resilience, and school readiness,” FSU said in a statement, regarding the program’s third-year implementation.
Ward said it’s been used in West Palm Beach and also within Leon County Schools. It will be one of the first programs at the Champions Ranch.
The goal, she said, is to “respond with grace to all the kids that come with whatever they come with, and they really feel like it’s an oasis.”
Contact Economic Development Reporter TaMaryn Waters at tlwaters@tallahassee.com and follow @TaMarynWaters on X.