Blountville Little League Kicks Off Fall Season at Transformed Middle School Fields
Blountville, Tenn. – The Blountville Little League is back in action, kicking off their fall season in a new location that many community members are pretty excited about. The league has taken over the old fields at the former Blountville Middle School after learning they could no longer use Bernie Webb Park, which is being demolished to make way for a recycling packing center.
Switching up the playfields wasn’t a simple move. According to David Ewing, president of the Blountville Little League, getting the middle school fields ready took a lot of elbow grease. Over the past couple of weekends, volunteers have been hard at work with rented machinery, scraping the fields, removing weeds, and softening up the dirt to make them playable.
“We had to really put some work in. We pulled up some old steel studs from where the bases used to be and turned what was basically a grass field into a nice-looking ball field with beautiful red clay,” Ewing mentioned.
Although fall ball has just started, there’s still a lot more to be done. Ewing said they hadn’t even begun the layout for the baseball field yet, and they are relying on some help from county employees for additional clean-up work. “The county workers have been awesome. They’ve painted the dugouts and brought over new aluminum bleachers to replace some old cinder block ones that weren’t too comfortable,” he said.
The site’s future looks bright, with plans for a state-of-the-art baseball park. But for now, the main focus is on getting the current fields as ready as possible for the kids. Despite the progress, there are still some challenges, like sharing the concession stand and not having primary access to some facilities, which affects scheduling and maintenance.
Barry Myers, a Blountville Little League parent and coach, highlighted how the transition has caused some logistical problems. “We’ve got younger kids playing T-ball and coach pitch at Bernie Webb Park, while older kids are playing at the middle school. It’s been tough. It means not all my kids can play since I can’t be in two places at once,” he shared.
He added that another perk of being at the middle school is better parking, but there are still issues with access to the fields. “We don’t have exclusive access anymore, and sometimes we have to turn away folks who just show up to play softball. It’s tough managing when we used to have more control over our own fields,” Myers noted.
Despite these hurdles, Ewing and Myers are committed to making the new location feel like home for the kids. “It’s all about giving the kids a chance to play on fields they’re proud of,” Myers said. “Even if the fields aren’t perfect, we can work with what we have as long as we have access and can maintain them properly.”
Field work isn’t the only thing on their minds. They also have to manage two different concession stands, which is another logistical headache. “Running two stands at two different locations is no small feat. We have to make sure everything is stocked and maintained, which doubles the work,” Ewing remarked.
Myers assured that cooperation with the Sullivan County Commission has been positive, and they’re working to get the new location in tip-top shape. He emphasized the importance of continued dialogue with the county authorities. “The commission has been listening, and I hope they keep the conversations going. We need them to understand not just the issues but work with us to find solutions that are best for the kids and the community,” he said.
For parents interested in having their kids join, registration for fall ball is still open for a few more weeks. And another opportunity isn’t far off—registration for the spring season opens on October 31.
Regardless of the challenges, the community’s spirit and dedication to youth sports shine through. “We’re all in for the kids,” Myers said. “We want to give them the best opportunities, and having fields they can be proud of is a big part of that.”
