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Waddell’s Park men’s club reports steady participation, flags maintenance and parking pressures
Summary
Tony Zebel told the board Waddell’s Park men’s club closed 2024 with a modest deficit due to higher maintenance and utility costs, reported growth in spring soccer and volleyball, and outlined fundraising, sponsorship and facility maintenance priorities.
Tony Zebel, representing Waddell’s Park men’s club, presented the group’s 2024 annual update to the Harper Creek Board of Education on Feb. 10, describing participation trends, finances and facility challenges.
Zebel said spring soccer continues to be the club’s largest program (about 700 sign-ups with roughly 500 participants completing the season) and that volleyball is trending up, including a newly added high-school league. He said overall program participation was similar year-over-year but the club ended 2024 with a small deficit ‘‘to the tune of a couple thousand dollars’’ driven mainly by unexpectedly high maintenance and utility costs and a one-time concession-stand expense.
Zebel detailed operational needs and plans: fundraising to preserve low participant fees (many priced below comparable offerings in the area), pursuing title sponsorships and expanding camps and clinics in slower summer and fall seasons. He described staffing (two full-time operations staff and a roster of high-school and college hourly workers, most of whom are Harper Creek students) and maintenance needs including a planned floor refinish and work on outdoor baseball fields.
Zebel also raised safety and traffic issues at the facility’s Michigan Avenue entrance on busy game days and noted recent steps to stagger game start times and add signage to discourage golf carts near fields. The board thanked Zebel and recognized longtime volunteer Gary Lincoln for his contributions.
