WATONGA — The Watonga Kiwanis Club has been sponsoring summer league baseball and softball for years. In 2022, however, it will no longer sponsor or run summer baseball and softball. It is the hope of Kiwanis that a parent-run organization will take over this responsibility.
Kiwanis still plans to provide financial assistance to parent-run baseball and softball teams. In order to quality for financial assistance, there must be sign-ups held, and all children who desire to play must be given an opportunity to play on a team. Closed teams that are hand-picked and exclude kids who want to play will not be eligible for financial assistance. Kiwanis will donate all equipment that it has to eligible teams.
The parent organization’s responsibilities will include having sign-ups, collecting and depositing sign-up fees, paying league dues, organizing teams, finding coaches, communicating the schedules and any schedule changes with the umpire coordinator, and attending league meetings.
The financial assistance Kiwanis intends to provide to eligible parent-run baseball and softball teams will include help with equipment purchases, paying for an umpire coordinator, and helping with umpire pay. Kiwanis will designate a liaison to the parent-run organization that can be communicated with for financial needs.
This decision was made due to Kiwanis aging membership. Kiwanis no longer has members with children playing summer baseball and softball. This makes it increasingly difficult to recruit coaches and kids to make teams. Parents have a more vested interest in their kids’ activities, and they better know the parents and kids to contact to be coaches and players to form teams. Other surrounding towns have parent-run organizations for these sports, and that is what Watonga has for soccer, wrestling and Pee Wee football.
Kiwanis will still sponsor and run its summer youth program where kids bowl, have art activities, play t-ball, and are taken to the Roman Nose swimming pool during the summer.
Baseball and softball signups are normally held in late-February, so this article is to give ample notice that a parent-run organization will be needed for next season. For all interested parents, Kiwanis will host a meeting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, November 17, 2021 at Wheeler Brothers’ office at 505 W Main Street (next to the Apple Market) to discuss summer baseball and softball being transitioned from Kiwanis to a parent-run organization.