After 3 months in the making, all appears ready for the Neosho Family Y to take over Neosho’s youth summer ball program. This is from today’s Joplin Globe:
NEOSHO, Mo. — Neosho’s YMCA has hired staff and is looking for sponsors and coaches for the summer baseball and softball season.
Last month, the cash-strapped city of Neosho agreed to transfer control of the summer ball programs to Freeman Southwest Family YMCA. The lease agreement approved by the City Council grants the YMCA use of the city’s five ball fields and concessions at a fee of $1 per year.
This week, the YMCA announced that it hired the coordinator for the summer ball programs and announced the program fees. The cost of the T-ball programs will be $25 per child, if they are a YMCA member, and $30 if not. The baseball and softball program fees will be $30 a child if they are a YMCA member, and $35 per child if they are not.
The YMCA offers financial aid and has stated that no child would be turned away based on an inability to pay.
Jenny Holweger, executive director of the Neosho YMCA, said this year, in part, would be about laying the basis for the future.
“We are really looking at it as year one,” Holweger said of the season, noting that the YMCA wanted to build on this season in years to come. “Hopefully we will be able to add another level to it (next year).”
In mid-January, then-City Manager Jan Blase announced that budget cuts would force the city to divest itself of the summer youth baseball and softball programs that affect about 1,000 youngsters. Blase said passing the programs off would save the city about $50,000 annually.
The city approached a fledgling parents’ organization about taking over the programs. The parks advisory board and others then contacted the YMCA because of concerns about whether the parents’ organization could be up and running in time for the upcoming season.
Neosho Mayor Jeff Werneke on Friday said the transfer of the programs would afford an opportunity to revitalize the programs and bring them more consistency than the city-run programs.
“I think it’s a step forward,” he said.
Nuts and bolts
The Freeman Southwest Family YMCA has hired Jessica Ferguson as the summer ball sports coordinator.
Season dates
April 17 — Registration for summer ball programs.
April 26 — Deadline to register without late fees.
May 3-7 — Baseball and softball skills camps for ages 9-18, specific days and times to be announced.
May 17-July 10 — Baseball and softball season.
May 31-July 4 — T-ball season.
July 16-17, 24-25 — Optional baseball/softball tournaments.
Information: Freeman Southwest Family YMCA, 455-9999.
No comments:
Post a Comment
All comments are moderated before being posted. Postings are at the sole discretion of the blog moderator. Anonymous postings are no longer allowed. I encourage your comments, but put you name on the bottom line!