Hello Friends –
It has been awhile since our last update and a LOT has changed. Here is the TLDR for those that do not want to read the details:
Baseball fields are done and practices and games are being played!
Levy and COVID have caused some loss of momentum.
Looking to ramp up fundraising.
Soccer Fields and High School Turf are Priorities 1a and 1b.
And for those of you that want the details…
Baseball Fields
On February 11th we announced the major renovation of the six infield baseball diamonds at Olmsted Falls Early Childhood Center (ECC), Falls-Lenox and Olmsted Falls Intermediate (OFIS). We wanted to address three main issues:
1- Improve the fields’ ability to take on rain was the primary goal. Too many practices and games were lost last year due to standing water. Often, it would take 2-3 days of clear skies in order for any activity to occur on these fields. We wanted to be able to play on the fields at worse case the next day, and best case that evening if it rained in the morning and cleared up in the afternoon.
2 – Improve the playing surfaces. Anyone that has played in the infield knows how important a smooth infield is in cleanly fielding a ground ball. It is not just making a clean play, but also preventing an injury. I played in the West Denison league back in the early 80s, and I had my fair share of baseballs to the face at shortstop due to the field conditions (my father would say it was my ability as a shortstop but we digress). A great playing surface is better for the development and safety of the player.
3 – Reduce the maintenance costs of our baseball and softball organizations. Due to the poor field conditions, a lot of the fees collected were being used to purchase drying agent and additional sand. By greatly reducing these costs, these organizations can put those dollars into upgrading equipment, playing more games and tournaments and improving the development of our players.
We replaced the top 2-3 inches of each diamond with a new sand and clay base and had every field professionally laser graded. We also extended the field at Middle School East to a full 90 feet, giving us another full baseball field to play on. The early feedback from players, coaches and opponents has been fantastic! The fields are some of the best in the area and we accomplished our goals. There is some touch up work to a couple of fields that needs to be done once we get a few hot days in July, but other than that they are ready to go.
The overall project cost was $70,000. The following organizations contributed:
Bulldog Field Initiative (care of the Olmsted Athletic Commission - OAC)
The Urban Foundation
Olmsted Community Summer League (OCSL)
Olmsted Travel Baseball Association (OTBA)
Olmsted Community Baseball/Softball Commission (OCBSC)
Fundraising Update
Before getting into the fundraising picture, I want to talk about two issues that have dampened our fundraising efforts – the school levy and COVID.
The levy was a critical issue for the school and obviously while we are independent from the school, the vast majority of us and our supporters are parents with children in the system. It was decided that we would not compete with the school during the run up to the levy vote for share of voice. There was also recognition that while the levy and fundraising are not ‘tied’ (each one is an independent financial decision among other things), we did not want to get in the way with the messaging of the school and unintentionally introduce any confusion.
Then the lockdowns of businesses and schools began…
Then the election was postponed for 6 weeks…
It would be an understatement that the fundraising environment has been challenging the past 4 months. That being said, we continue to get a trickle of new Bulldog Backers here and there. We have 131 Bulldog Backers right now that have pledged nearly $150K. We hope that with the completion of the Baseball Field project and the projects that we look to accomplish next (more on that below), that our fundraising efforts in the community can ramp back up. We want to be sensitive to any financial hardship that folks are going through right now, so we will be tactful. We also need to be sensitive to restrictions on gatherings and events.
However, we have faith in the community and folks that may have been on the edge before and needing to see ‘proof’ that these dollars were going to be spent according to the mission are going to come to the table if they can. There were also many in the community who thought that the funds would ONLY go to the football program and stadium so they were reluctant on donating. Obviously those opinions were wrong (see Baseball Fields). Every dollar we raise is going back into the fields in one capacity or another and we are deploying that capital strategically and where it makes sense. We hope that many of you reading this will share the message of what we are looking to do and what we have accomplished. Referrals continue to be the best way for us to get the message out.
From a corporate fundraising standpoint, well to be blunt, we are at a standstill. There are several factors why that is the case:
1 – Businesses were severely impacted by COVID and have paused/reduced/eliminated community donation programs. This is the case with a lot of businesses that we have talked with – especially in the medical and retail space. It is hard to justify sizable donations and sponsorships when you are laying off and/or furloughing your employees.
2 – Businesses that were not severely impacted are taking a wait-and-see approach. There are some sport retailers who were perhaps interested and still maybe but are waiting to see what the fall looks like. A good example is a company who may sell football equipment to youth and high school programs across the country. If there is a reduction in the amount of games, or heaven forbid, the elimination of fall sports – these retailers will face incredible financial pressure. No programs = no equipment orders.
3 – It has been impossible to meet face-to-face and move conversations forward. For those of you in sales, you know it takes more than one 60-minute conversation to ‘get to yes’. There are hours of conversations, internal champions to win, and multiple decision makers to cut a $250K-$500K check. These things take time, and the environment has not been conducive. Conversations have been picking up the past couple of weeks and we continue to make inquiries – but the corporate side is going to be an uphill battle.
While this sounds insurmountable – it isn’t. I just wanted to communicate with all of you the challenges that we face. No one has given up hope and everyone is still committed to our mission of improving our fields for our kids. It’s just going to take a little bit of patience and hard work to get there.
Next Projects
While we have one big win under the belt, our attention has now shifted to the soccer fields at Schady road and turfing the High School Stadium.
The soccer field project is a HUGE project – not just in scope of getting the work done, but the sensitivity of the homeowners in that area. That is not to say that the sensitivity and opinions are unfounded – far from it. It just means that any improvement of those fields MUST be done with all stakeholders involved – school, homeowners, township, county, etc. and that the project must not only improve the fields for the children (the primary mission), but ENSURE we do not cause additional issues there and if possible, help alleviate some of the issues that the homeowners have faced. We have started to engage with firms on what it would take, both from a financial and engineering aspect, to get this done. As this project progresses, we will engage with the appropriate parties at that time and will look to rally community support to get it done. We believe we have raised enough funds to pull this project off, so now it comes down to navigating the challenges as noted above.
The Stadium project continues to be a focus of ours. We have met with several turfing companies and are in the process of getting bids and understanding all the different factors that need to be decided upon to ensure a great, safe playing surface. The major challenge with this project is the corporate fundraising (see above). However, there is no cost for planning and understanding the details and getting to a point when we raise the funds, we have the project ‘shovel ready’.
Again, to be transparent – we do not believe we will have the funds necessary to get turf installed for the fall of 2020. Is there an outside chance? Yes. The more likely scenario would be the spring or fall of 2021.
Wrapping Up
If you’re still with me, thanks for taking the time to read this overdue update. I talk to several of you in the community and I know other folks involved – Ryan, Josh, Robert, Jill – are chatting with many of you as well. We want everyone to know what is going on, and in these crazy and turbulent times, it has been difficult sharing. Bottom line - we continue to make progress on the mission and need your continued support and advocacy for our mission.
Thanks!
Joe Singleton