I thought Neosho resident Bill Slade said it best during Monday night’s special meeting of the Neosho parks and recreation board concerning the future of youth baseball and softball in Neosho.
At the end of the hour-long meeting where Jenny Holweger, executive director of the Freeman Southwest Family YMCA, proposed the city enter a lease agreement with the YMCA for use of the ballfields at Morse Park, Slade asked the board a simple question: Will there be baseball and softball this summer in Neosho?
The board’s answer was, “absolutely,” nearly in unison.
“That’s all the matters,” Slade responded.
Bill, you are absolutely right. All that matters right now is that there will be ball for our children in 2010. Sure, it is easy to point fingers at how we got into the mess of the city of Neosho considering cutting the baseball and softball programs at Morse Park, but that’s an argument or column for another day.
Today, let’s celebrate the fact that the parks and recreation boardmembers, concerned citizens and the staff at the local YMCA are willing to work together to ensure our children are able to hear the words, “play ball,” this summer at Morse Park.
We should also say “thank you” as a community to Todd Cholka and Chad Mabrey, two parents who were interested in leading a parent organization to run a baseball and softball league this summer if the city were to cut the program.
While that option is no longer on the table, it was refreshing to see citizens step up and offer to lead the charge in the wake of the city’s announcement.
The key moment of the meeting Monday evening was when Cholka voiced support for the YMCA’s proposal to run the baseball and softball leagues, and telling the board that a scheduled meeting between it and the parent group was no longer needed.
Having Cholka voice his support for the program was crucial in the YMCA’s bid.
Also, Jenny Holweger and her staff deserve praise for working for hours over the weekend to put together a rough plan to present to the board. In talking with Holweger, she made a point to say that the YMCA program will make sure that no child will not be able to play because they are unable to pay. While there will be a different fee for non-members than members, a difference of possibly $5 per player, there are scholarships available for those families who are dealing with financial hardship. While nothing is official yet, if it wasn’t for the efforts of the parks board, the YMCA and concerned parents taking the initiative in putting together options to keep baseball and softball alive in Neosho, the lights at Morse Park could have very easily been dark this summer. The Neosho City Council must do everything it can to work with the YMCA and make sure there is summer ball at Morse Park. The alternative of the lights being dark at the ballfields this summer would be a huge strike out for our community and our youth.
Rick Rogers is the publisher of the Daily News.
