Coaches ask Escambia commissioners to reopen Wedgwood Community Center for youth programs; county staff to follow up

Coaches and parents representing Pensacola Elite urged the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners on March 6 to reopen Wedgwood Community Center or create a part-time athletics position so their youth programs can resume.

"We take our at-risk youth in the community. We mentor them. We tutor them. We try to keep them out of the streets of Pensacola," said Sean Parker, who identified himself as representing Pensacola Elite. Parker and other speakers told the board the center—9s closure has displaced about 85 players in the program and removed an important mentoring and tutoring site.

Bobby Kinsella, who said he represents the youth basketball program at Wedgwood, said he had applied for a posted community center manager job in October but learned this week the county did not hire for that position. He asked the board to create a part-time athletic director role to allow noncounty staff who volunteer to run practices and tutoring.

"Make a position that's part time for the athletic director for Wedgwood Community Center," Kinsella said, adding that volunteers and coaches have provided hours since 2015 and the program cannot find alternative gym space without paying commercial rental rates.

Commissioners asked neighborhood services staff to follow up. "Since this is in Commissioner May's district, I'll have Audrey get your number and we'll work with neighborhood services to find out why we can't get this open for you," the chairman said during the forum.

Why it matters: Speakers said the program provides mentorship, tutoring and structured activity for at-risk youth, and that alternatives such as renting middle-school gyms are prohibitively expensive. Commissioners requested neighborhood services to contact the speakers and report back; no formal policy action or vote took place during public comment.