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Rule change adopted to make kids swing the bat
January a busy month for GBRC
GBRC Stationary Bikes
This is one of the few times you will see an empty room with empty stationary bikes at the GBRC Activity Center.

BY KEITH LIPPOLDT

klippoldt@gbtribune.com


As winter has reached its midway point, Great Bend Recreation Sports Director Shane Sandberg is already focusing on baseball and softball. Third and fourth grade baseball and softball to be precise.

“I’m sure you’ve had a chance to see the program evaluations for third and fourth grade baseball and softball last year,” Sanders said to those in attendance at the GBRC Board meeting Monday afternoon. “The main complaint was walks. I went back and looked through box scores. There were games where there were 20-plus walks – walking in five runs per inning. Nobody’s learning to hit like that. Nobody’s learning to run the bases. Defense isn’t getting to play any defense.”

Sandberg has seen a solution to this problem from other leagues in the area and is wanting to implement it into the Great Bend leagues this summer.

“There are leagues that have a kid-pitch, coach-pitch hybrid,” he said. “I’d like to introduce that this year for both third and fourth grade softball and baseball. I heard Chris (Umphres) talk about nine-year-olds being the hardest group to coach, because you’re teaching them how to pitch. Well, it’s even harder when you don’t have ‘travel ball’ talent you’re working with. 

“Basically, we’re eliminating walks. If there is a walk, a coach or a parent from the hitting team would come out and have an opportunity to throw to that hitter. They get one swing. They foul it off and they get a second. My kids grew up playing this way and it works great. It doesn’t slow the game down and you get to keep developing all your skills.”

The way it works is if the hitter takes ball four, the alternate pitcher comes out and the hitter gets one swing. If the hitter fouls off a pitch, he or she would get another. If the alternate pitcher hits the batter, the batter gets another pitch. One concern Sanders has with the alternate pitcher is that the hitter may take several pitches before swinging. That issue will be dealt with as it comes up.

“We’re assuming between one or two pitches they’re going to get something to swing at and go,” he said. 

Board member Amanda Staab likes the intent of the rule and said, “I support it. And I think this prevents the coaches from saying ‘just stand there and take the pitch.’”

Board member Colleen Newman made a motion to integrate this pitching rule into the third and fourth grade leagues. Staab seconded the motion, and it passed 4-0. Board member Chuy Loera was absent.

In other action, the GBRC board:

• Heard from Executive Director Chris Umphres that GBRC did receive their tax allotment. He said they are nearly at the same point as last year and he can see the trend moving up.

• Enrichment and Activity Center Director Garet Fitzpatrick reported that January has been a little bit slow, but classes will get started up again this week and go through the middle of April. He said that numbers are good to this point. There are no classes in Great Bend next Thursday and Friday, so GBRC has programs available both days.

• Aquatic, Enrichment and Marketing Director Megan Hammeke said they held the special needs Valentine’s Day dance last Friday to kickoff spring. Her classes for the seniors and special needs students all started this week. Lifeguard training will start next month. The Easter egg hunt is scheduled for April 5 and the flashlight Easter egg hunt will be held that evening. Hammeke reported that they had secured the same pyrotechnic group to shoot off fireworks that evening.

• Hammeke also reported that the TRX machine is up and operational at the Activity Center.

• Heard from Sandberg that soccer championship weekend went well despite a 55-team basketball tournament running the same weekend.

“I’m going to have to figure something out for next year,” he said. “Are we going to stick with three-on-three, go five-on-five, or just have 12 teams in each league, because the numbers are just out of this world.”

• Umphres gave the attendance report saying that GBRC had a total participation count for the month of 10,002, with 4,200 of those being spectators. They also had over 1,100 hours of supervised activities.

The Recreation Board will meet again March 10 at 4 p.m. in the Carl Soden Recreation Center.