Just let them play ball

Build it and they will come.

That was the mentality of Serj Sangara and his fellow volunteer directors at The Dugout Club (TDC), after sensing there may be scores of kids in east Richmond not playing sports due to economic and social barriers.

So, last spring, members of the non-profit TDC — which is motivated to introduce as many local children as possible to baseball — took it upon themselves to found a free, non-competitive program to attract kids who, for various reasons, wouldn’t normally be playing sports.

And during the 18 weeks the informal baseball program ran out of King George Park in the east Cambie neighbourhood, more than 100 children registered for and took part in TDC’s “Just Play Ball” initiative, until it closed for the season last month.

“We identified east Richmond as a place where not enough kids were involved in sport,” said Sangara, who has lived in Richmond for most of his life, noting that the club is funded purely by donations.

“We felt there might be a lot of kids in that area that were missing out, especially for financial reasons and also, there’s no youth baseball diamond in that area.

“So, we came up with a program that was just once a week, for a couple of hours. It’s very grassroots.”

The program, said Sangara was as raw as the kids who were turning out in their droves to take part.

“There were kids showing up that didn’t even know how to put a (catcher’s) glove on their hand,” said Sangara, adding that the program is primarily aimed at four to 12-year-olds.

“One night, 53 kids showed up, it was incredible. It really showed the need for something like this.

“Some sports are so focused on rep teams, training four times a week. But for some parents, especially single parents, getting their kids out to these practices can be a problem, before we even start talking about paying for it.

“It also attracted kids who don’t want to make a four or five-day commitment (to rep sports).”

Just Play Ball was such a resounding success that TDC not only has every intention of running it again next spring, it wants to expand it to make the experience even more enjoyable for as many local kids as possible.

And, he said, it would not have been possible without the help of local volunteers and businesses chipping in with donations of cash and equipment.

Two hurdles, however, were, until recently, blocking Sangara and his TDC directors’ path to growing the community program.

The first is the fact that Sangara had to load all the program’s equipment from storage, at Latrace Field in central Richmond, into his truck, transport it to King George and then do it all over again when the program finished.

“Secondly, there’s no youth baseball diamond out (at King George), it’s all adult softball, so it’s not at all ideal.

“We’ve been asking the City of Richmond to help us, as has Richmond Sports Council and the ERCA (East Richmond Community Association).”

Jim Lamond, Richmond Sports Council chair, spoke of TDC’s “great, free program,” adding that “it can be very expensive for kids to play sports these days; it’s more than $200 just to play soccer as a four-year-old. Thirty years ago, it was free for that age.”

Lamond said he recognizes the worth of the program, given that the east Cambie neighbourhood is known to be a low-income area of the city.

“We sent a letter (to the city) asking for a youth baseball diamond to be built there and the city has said it will do its best to help,” Lamond told the Richmond News.

Last week, Sangara met with officials from the city’s parks and recreation department to discuss what could be done to help foster and further the Just Play Ball program.

“We’re moving in the right direction; they’re giving us some storage there, so that will help with me having to haul everything back and forth,” Sangara told the News on Wednesday.

“But they’re not ready to commit to a full, youth baseball diamond. We may be getting a portable (pitcher’s) mound.

“It’s not an ideal solution, as we’d have to move it on and off the field every time, but it’s a start.”

The city, said Sangara, has also given TDC four days of access to the softball diamonds at King George for the spring through summer schedule for Just Play Ball.

“It would be great to have some dedicated space, but, as I said, it’s a start,” said Sangara.

“And we could even start a league or play exhibition games against other districts, who knows.”

City spokesperson Ted Townsend said discussions are ongoing with Sangara and the city is “looking to address his requests while still balancing the needs of multiple users out there; King George is used heavily for adult softball.”

Other fields, in other parts of the city, said Townsend, are not suitable for adult softball, placing the emphasis on the fields at King George.

“(Sangara) is looking at exploring options, such as a portable mound,” said Townsend.

Townsend said, although the city can’t totally rule out constructing a youth baseball diamond in the King George area, “it would be difficult to accommodate.”

For more information on TDC and its efforts to introduce kids to baseball, go online to TheDugoutClub.ca.