A Change Up

Bowing to public outcry and a half-packed gymnasium, members of the St. Andrews Parks & Playground Commission voted last week to delay a decision they made to alter its youth baseball and softball offerings.
Two weeks ago, the commission voted to no longer be a part of Cal Ripken Baseball, citing reductions in players and lackluster statewide participation in tournaments.
When the decision was made public, a near-unanimous cry from the public rose against it, citing the importance of all-star teams, good coaching, and higher competition.
Last week, the commission held a special public hearing where its members could take in comments from concerned citizens and participants. With city staff, a City Councilman, and St. Andrews Public Service District employees in attendance, comments remained highly critical of the move.
Current coaches complained that kids would be losing out; a local activist urged the commission to align its programs with Little League; and a few parents championed the current program.
Several members of the audience said that the commission hadn’t done a good job communicating all the factors that went into its previous decision, and some became irate that commission members weren’t answering questions directly.
Commission member reiterated they were there just to listen to the public and then act separately.
After the hearing, the commission met and voted to suspend their previous decision to scrap Cal Ripken Baseball, and tasked staffers to review the situation and to present recommendations at a future meeting.