Electing New Leaque Volunteers

[chinamigarden]

when the parents who don't like the condition of the field show up with lawn mowers, rakes and shovels to work on the field. Do the women from the Prison stop them, or is something else that keeps the parents from volunteering their time and doing the work?

 

[Pickle]

The volunteerism was there on several occasions.
May 17th - had our first practice and a look at the field.
May21 - Me... when ya gonna work on the field... Him - I'll work on it this week. ...Me -Cool, Cause I'm jealous of the other field Thanks
May 22 - I told him that I would be available on Sunday to help with field, just give me a shout. *Crickets chirp. ~Hey - just letting you know about the hornets flying around the dugouts, it's probably unsafe for the girls *I assume he did spray bee killer ~Also, who's responsible for the all the trash ? Is it the city, I can make some calls or I can run down their with some contractor size trash bags ang pick up the trash *Crickets chirp. ~One more thing, I have a powerwasher that we can tackle those dugouts with *Crickets chirp.
May 31 - I emailed the sec and tell her that I'm going to get my girls to pick up the trash before practice... Her response... Don't pick up the trash, we have the women's prison working on that. ~Me... Ok, Right now ? Are they going to work on cleaning up the field, mowing, discing, and draging? ~Her... They are painting and picking up trash
May 31 - 9pm - to the League Pres. If the ladies from the prison came today to paint and clean up... they didn't do anything, however the other field looks great. Our field is filled with holes and it makes the balls pop up in the girls faces. If you don't plan to fix our field soon, please let me know so I can get some parents together. The girls deserve a nice field to play on. ~His response... I'm well aware that they deserve a nice field. It's not one age group against another. The women's prison did what they could, I'll do the rest. ~Me I don't feel it's one group against another. We just feel neglected. We've had a crappy field all practice season. Our first game is Monday, If you don't plan to do anything by then, please let me know.
Jun 1 ~League Pres. As I said, I'll fix the field.
June 1, Another coach tells me the league pres came to field B, told them to move off the field, and then he sprayed round up and left.
Jun 2 ~ From the League Sec. The league Pres. is at B field and was working his butt off yesterday. Anyone that could volunteer to help, it would be greatly appreciated.
Side note... It's 5:45. She and I are friends on FB, She knows the majority of us are at a Basket Bingo for Relay for Life. It makes me wonder if they didn't want my help.

The coach of the first home game went down with his atv, disc'd and drug the field. It wasn't never done by the league pres. I really don't know what he did on June 2.

So that's my frustration. I felt I needed to write all that because I wanted to you to see that I was willing to help, I was just told not to worry about it and then it never got done. I don't want the same season next year. If you're gonna be league president, you have some responsibilities - otherwise, step aside.

I did make my girls pick up trash before a couple of practices.

 

[left turn]

Most folks get into the local baseball/softball board with the best of intentions. Some get insulated from the players and parents and lose their perspective. It takes a lot of effort to continue to really listen to what matters to the players and parents with all of the noise of running the organization. I have seen people of good faith run the local orgainzation and they honestly thought they were doing a terrific job. They had an sincere intention of doing a terrific job. However the parents really didn't like it. It's easy to accept that you can't make everybody happy and take the easy road out while thinking you are doing a bang-up job. In almost every case, they don't intend to diminish the experience of the players.

There have to be by laws. Get the by laws and find out how they elect the board. Make sure they follow their own rules. Recruit like minded parents. There has to be a nominating process. As previous posters have noted, you can talk to your town council to put pressure on the league if they are unresponsive. The town has ultimate responsibility for apportioning authority to schedule the fields. This is a powerful tool.

 

[nanotech14]

Calling and offering help is not doing. There is nothing stopping you and the parents of the players from going down and getting the work done. If that means you do it yourself, then do it. Server your community and the kids, don't ask for thanks from all, go home and pat yourself on the back. A job well done, either with others or by yourself to give the kids something to be proud of is reward enough.

 

[CoogansBluff]

I want a concession stand that is run by league volunteers and not a certain person who does it for his own profits.

I agree w/ you. That's the ideal situation.

But does your program have a hard time getting good volunteers? That might be why the board is so inept. Maybe there aren't enough quality, willing volunteers to pick from to run a good concession.

At the park where my daughter played rec ball, we let a private contractor run the concessions. We didn't want to do that, but a shortage of volunteers made it the more practical way to go.

I'm not defending what's going on at your park. Just wondering if this doesn't help explain it. It could be a lack of good leadership, but could also be an unwillingness of enough parent to make it better.

 

[JAD]

Several years ago my DD's team practiced on a Church little league baseball field. Needless to say it needed some work, but we were just THANKFUL to have a field to call home, so the coaches organized a 'work party' one Saturday morning for all of the parents and kids. We added dirt to the infield, filled in holes in the outfield, repacked the batters boxes and pitching circle, picked up trash, installed a bullpen, and added some soft toss nets. We spent @ $500 and 6 hours with 20+ people and it was AMAZING how much we were able to accomplish. The fact that the girls also participated helped with team bonding and gave them an appreciation of how much work went into maintaining the fields - plus our dugout also stayed much cleaner after that day! And every year after that the Church BEGGED us to use their fields......."pay it forward"!

 

[nanotech14]

Several years ago my DD's team practiced on a Church little league baseball field. Needless to say it needed some work, but we were just THANKFUL to have a field to call home, so the coaches organized a 'work party' one Saturday morning for all of the parents and kids. We added dirt to the infield, filled in holes in the outfield, repacked the batters boxes and pitching circle, picked up trash, installed a bullpen, and added some soft toss nets. We spent @ $500 and 6 hours with 20+ people and it was AMAZING how much we were able to accomplish. The fact that the girls also participated helped with team bonding and gave them an appreciation of how much work went into maintaining the fields - plus our dugout also stayed much cleaner after that day! And every year after that the Church BEGGED us to use their fields......."pay it forward"!

Good job, thats what I'm talking about. You could have all sat and complained or do something about it. I'm glad you guys did something about it. Thats the problem now a days, people complain and waste more time, if they would just shut up and get to doing. That how my grandfathers generation, WWII vets and older made this country, blood, sweat and tears.

 

[BrianMonk]

There is nothing stopping you and the parents of the players from going down and getting the work done.

From the OP: "**May - We aren't allowed on any of the fields until school is out. It has to do with the lease from the BOE."

Are you sure about that Nano? Any clue what the lease says?

You simply can't go on property you don't own and start messing with things - even if it's for the good of you/your (insert item here).

 

[nanotech14]

From the OP: "**May - We aren't allowed on any of the fields until school is out. It has to do with the lease from the BOE."

Are you sure about that Nano? Any clue what the lease says?

You simply can't go on property you don't own and start messing with things - even if it's for the good of you/your (insert item here).

Do you have any clue what the lease says. If you read in the last post the OP wrote. The league Pres. was going to work on it, then the women prisoners and besides they weren't allowed on the fields till schools out. Thats all the OP said about the BOE and I'm pretty sure once school is out the BOE wouldn't mind someone up keeping the fields up and if they don't, then you do it anyways, what are they going to do. Do you think the BOE is going to go complaining that a group of parents are cleaning up the field and fixing it. Not that great for public relations, when the local newspaper or TV channel finds out. If the property is the school districts, then it is the taxpayer property. They work for the taxpayers, not the other way around and thats what people forget in this nation from the President on down these elective officials work for us.

 

[Pickle]

I will ask the league about bylaws.
I will talk to the city counsel about the problem. Hopefully we can get some change in our little town.
To those of you that gave helpful advice, thank you.