Concerns about equipment quality, scheduling and long‑term governance for baseball and softball rec programs drew sustained discussion at the Aug. 6 Recreation Commission meeting.

Parents and coaches said shared equipment — especially catcher’s gear and shin guards — is often worn or missing functional straps, producing delays and pushing some parents or coaches to buy replacement gear. Recreation staff said city‑provided gear is basic and limited and that some parents do purchase specialized equipment for players who commit to positions like catcher.

“We take the feedback,” a recreation staff member said about equipment and scheduling comments, and explained that doubleheaders are used sparingly to accommodate unbalanced team counts: “The double headers, that we usually try for the schedule for every everyone to play on the first game, on picture day, and on the last day. So if there's an uneven number of teams, unfortunately, there's gonna be double headers.”

Little League charter exploration
Commissioner Hogan reported outreach to the National Little League organization about establishing a charter. Hogan said Little League asked the city to confirm with nearby Ripon whether district lines could be adjusted; Little League will not proceed without that confirmation.

Why it matters: worn equipment affects player safety and game quality; scheduling practices affect young players and families; a move to a Little League charter would change governance, require a local board and could affect field‑size and facility requirements.

Key details
- Equipment: coaches and parents cited worn shin guards (straps breaking) and flat, unused catcher’s gloves that are difficult to use in games. Staff and commissioners discussed whether the city should continue to subsidize full team equipment or target assistance (e.g., catcher's gear) to specific needs.
- Scheduling: Staff said they try to minimize doubleheaders, but uneven team counts sometimes make them unavoidable for picture and final‑day scheduling; coaches offered flexible midweek rescheduling as a mitigant.
- Little League: Staff and commissioners said establishing a Little League charter offers benefits (structured board, fundraising help) but depends on confirmation from neighboring jurisdictions and field‑size requirements. No charter was approved at the meeting.

Quotes
- “The double headers ... we usually try for the schedule ... So if there's an uneven number of teams, unfortunately, there's gonna be double headers,” — recreation staff member.
- “Little League is a tremendous idea ... I could probably tell you 90% sure it's probably not gonna happen this year,” — Justin Borges, volunteer coach and community member, on timeline and expectations for moving to Little League.

Ending
Staff said they will continue evaluating equipment policy, consider targeted replacement for safety‑critical gear, and pursue the Little League inquiry; no immediate policy change or charter vote occurred at the Aug. 6 meeting.