By Carolyn Reid
Pendleton County Rec’s Karen Davis reports over 300 children signed up for baseball or softball this coming season, first through sixth grade.
Estimating from numbers given to the Outlook by elementary schools, that is just about one-third of the children eligible to play.
The commission that was criticized in a town hall over a month ago says it is working to turn those criticisms into a positive, hearing parental and coach concerns and acting on the problems identified during that meeting and in other places.
The first major decision, as they identified in their special meeting Wednesday, March 22, was to place an expert as an advisor and trainer for the volunteers who coach the sports, usually out of the need for someone to help. The expert chosen for the upcoming baseball season is the county’s own MLB retiree
Nate Jones, and he will be joined by the Ladycats coaches and players as they conduct two clinics before the season starts.
“We just want people to know we are listening and are making improvements as fast as we can,” Davis shares.
Complaints at the town hall ranged from uniform frustrations to a lack of viable coaching. While some feel the rec program was established to feed into the middle and high school levels, James Anderson, who coaches Ladycat Softball as well as Keith Smith who oversaw the recreation program for several years, disagree with that philosophy. So do many on or affiliated with the commission.
“One hour practice and one-hour game will NEVER develop varsity players,” Smith said.
However, these sessions can give kids who want a taste or who just want to play correctly a chance to find out what it takes to make it to other levels. Davis agrees and confirms that is what they are planning to work with now.
Even with all the complaints of late, the program boasts of significant increases this year.
“Last year we had 226 including T-Ball,” Davis says.
She also gives this year’s statistics in comparison.
106 Pre-K and K T-ball
66 Boys 1-3 grade Coach Pitch
51 Boys 4-6 grade Kid Pitch
35 Girls 1-3 grade Coach Pitch
42 Girls 4-6 grade Fast Pitch
“We have plenty of coaches as well,” she shares.
She also commented on how the teams were formed. “Coaches and rosters were chosen by our board members and Nate Jones as he is our league commission expert in this sport.”
The rec baseball and softball seasons start April 3.