Fort Myers, FL
You may recall that last week we were trying to organize the softball tournament and have the games played here in our community. Many of you from Stoneybrook and Pelican Preserve made excellent suggestions and were interested in helping out, offering up your fields and suggestions for temporary backstops.
Supervisor Gary Neubaeur was also very interested in making this happen. He said "I want this to happen in Gateway". Then, staff, attorney's and insurance people got involved. They reminded all of us that until change is made in November, the fields in the Gateway Sports Complex will always be about soccer and nothing but soccer. Nothing against soccer of course.
This was the e-mail that forced us to go outside Gateway to Lee County, which took about ten minutes for them to say yes, to host the tournament for Blessings in a Backpack. Remember the motto of the Gateway G.S.D. "Let's Find all the reasons not to do something good for the community rather than finding ways to get them done".
Gary (Supervisor Neubauer),
I spoke with Wayne. He basically said under no circumstances would he concur with soccer fields being used for softball/baseball.
He listed many reasons (here are a few) no backstops, no fencing protection for players waiting to bat (sitting on a bench), no fencing protection for spectators, no outfield fence. Another example he used, the slopes on the aprons of the soccer fields….an outfielder running backwards to catch a ball encounters the slope, falls and is injured.
He would not recommend any type of temporary fencing and felt stakes in the ground to hold up a fence or even a free standing fence would only increase liability. Wayne will be sending a follow up email later in the week.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, I do think this is a great idea.
Best,
Bill (Knight, Operations Manager)
I can see the e-mail from the insurance companythis year....
"Under NO circumstances should the community erect a temporary Christmas tree. Lights on a Christmas tree can catch fire, therefore causing hair on children to burn. A temporary tree not properly installed can wobble and tip over and fall on Pastor Mark Gonzalez as he's singing Oh Holy Night on that temporary stage you should never have used. Besides extremist muslims find the word Christmas to be offensive therefore putting us at risk of slanderous lawsuits. My suggestion to Gateway residents is to stay home, in their homes this Christmas, removing all risk of anything happening at any time on Gateway property".
