Going the distance
Our goal is to provide an opportunity for the maximum number of players we can,"said Dess Schnur of the East Butler Baseball Association. "And that's true of all the organizations in the area."
Schnur, 64, a former president, has been involved in the association for more than 30 years and an officer of the Butler County American Legion Baseball League for 24 years.
But his roots in baseball go farther than that, having played on the first Little League team in East Butler.
"Youth baseball got its start in the area in the early '50s," he said. "Before then, it was an adult sport. A lot of people don't realize that."
Schnur said because he and the majority of people affiliated with the baseball programs in the county are former players themselves, they have an understanding of what players want and expect out of the organizations.
"We want to instill lifelong memories for them," he said. "We remember what it was like when we were playing. We want them to have that. It's a way we can give back.
"I think the Butler area really understands how important baseball is to the kids here. I think by having them be a part of the community, those memories are even greater."
There are more than 12 organizations in the county that share Schnur's beliefs. He adds that there are more teams in the Butler County area than in any other area of the state — evidence of the goal to provide as many players with an opportunity as possible.First, the organization must have officers. Oftentimes they are elected by current members of the organization.Next the officers determine when and where sign-ups will take place. Schnur describes this step as marketing the league and trying to make it as appealing to as many potential players as possible.Once it is determined how many players the league will have, forms are then prepared and a budget drawn up. The forms include league registration, medical and insurance papers, clearances and contracts for coaches, fundraising information and sponsorship forms, among others.The next step in preparation is the draft. Determining how many teams there will be, and how many players per team is all done according to the results of sign-ups. Then players are placed on teams based on skill level and location."The draft is very important," Schnur said. "If teams aren't fair and balanced, then teams and players won't be happy. The organization tries to set the league up so there's parity."Sponsors are decided once the number of teams is determined. According toSchnur, organizations try to maintain the same sponsors from year to year, not only for their continued support, but also so teams maintain the same nicknames."We found that sponsors were a necessity about 20 years or so ago," he said. "It helps to alleviate the cost of the league, and it's a way for them to get their name out."He also said it's typically the coach's job to contact the sponsor, since coaches often change from year to year.Another important aspect for the coaches is setting up practice times for the teams. The organizations will typically help out, especially if the coach hasn't been involved that long. They also schedule times so teams that share facilities will have equal time.
Organizations must also provide equipment such as uniforms, baseballs and "pretty much everything but bats" for leagues, according to Schnur.In addition, field maintenance must be done and is one of the more costly parts of the organization's budget."In fact, there is more money spent on fields now than entire previous budgets used to be," said Schnur.Schnur said volunteers are what strengthens the baseball organizations. Volunteers are asked to help, not only in field maintenance, but also in concessions, one of the larger revenue generating areas."If not for volunteers in concessions, I don't know what we'd do,"Schnur said. "Other than not make money from them. Without volunteers, league registration fees go up, and that would drive some players away."By having a good group of volunteers, we can keep costs down, and get more kids involved."While a significant portion of that money is used for field maintenance and equipment, it also pays for umpires. Umpires require training and education, and are paid per game.In the leagues for younger players, the umpires often come from inside the organization.The upper leagues, such as the American Legion, require sanctioned umpires, and are paid more money, according to Schnur.Tournaments are another factor to consider when drawing up a budget. The time and the teams involved are set up early, not only to prepare, but so that the money can be spread out accordingly. If the tournament is found to be able to generate funds, teams can go on to other tournaments from there.An additional cost is the trophies.All said, the basic cost to support a single player for one year is $150.For nearly 300 players, costs exceed $40,000 annually. If not for the work of volunteers, Schnur estimated those costs would reach six figures at least.Schnur added that there is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes that many people are not aware of. Each job is important and each is essential in helping children be safe and have fun."Again, it all comes down to making sure we provide an opportunity for the maximum number of players we can,"he said."It's a very community-minded approach, and that's good for everyone involved."
