Youth baseball league concerned about paying to play at county ballfield

IREDELL COUNTY, N.C. — New baseball fields will open soon at Jennings Park which means the youth recreational baseball program, the Babe Ruth Association, may have to pay.

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The nonprofit league donated 19 acres of the property to the county in 2015 and the county purchased an additional 46 acres adjacent to it, said Tim Pope, who is on the board for the Babe Ruth Association.

“I’m afraid that it will get, at some point, non-cost effective for kids to come and play, and at the end of the day, that’s all we’re worried about,” Pope said.

He said they donated a portion of the park to give the community a place to play ball while only having to worry about a registration fee.

County officials said it made a deal with the league to let kids play for free until the park was remodeled, which is a deal that Pope said didn’t happen. Meanwhile, construction is underway.

Now, Pope said parents will have to worry about additional fees.

“We have figured up with what the counties want to charge for the field usage and everything that the cost is probably going to go up,” Pope said.

The Iredell County manager said they will charge the league $5,000 for the spring season.

If lights are needed, an additional $1,000 to $1,200 will be added to the bill.

The league will then divide the total cost by the number of kids who play, which is a number still up in the air as sign-ups for the 13 youth associates across the county don’t start until January.

“Obviously, we would try to do what we can, because the kids are wanting to play,” said parent Zack Smith. “Not every family in the community is going to be able to do that.”

Some of those families voiced that issue during Tuesday night’s Iredell County commissioners’ meeting.

Commissioners said they understood the parents’ concerns.

Residents said they don’t want the kids to pay the ultimate price of not getting to play.

“It’s not about us,” Pope said. “It’s about somewhere for those kids to go and play and have something to do.”

County commissioners said they will continue to look at the cost and see if adjustments can be made.

The park is set to open in spring 2025.

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