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Daly City recreation staff outline youth baseball season, seek help boosting participation
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Summary
Recreation staff reported steady but low enrollment for Daly Citys youth baseball programs (38 t-ball, 28 coach-pitch) and asked commissioners for help with outreach, partnerships and scheduling to expand teams and field simultaneous Saturday games across city parks.
Bridal Flowers, a Recreation Services Coordinator, told the Daly City Recreation Commission that this years youth baseball season ran April 14 to May 18 and included 38 participants in the t-ball division (roughly four teams) and 28 participants in coach-pitch (two teams). He said the program emphasizes getting children to enjoy the sport rather than prioritizing wins.
Flowers said the program holds one practice per week at Westlake and Saturday games; this year staff added Friday night games under the lights to boost the experience. He said resident registration cost $111 and nonresident registration cost $139; the fee covers six weeks of practice, six games, a hat and a shirt, and staff-provided equipment such as gloves.
Commissioners and staff discussed barriers to growth, including competition from year-round travel and club programs, scheduling conflicts with other youth activities and the difficulty of recruiting volunteer coaches. Flowers described outreach efforts visiting local schools, handing out flyers and meeting with athletic directors and asked the commission and community partners for additional support, from brainstorming to help connecting with high-school athletes and regional programs.
Commissioners set a recruitment goal (staff described wanting up to eight t-ball teams and four coach-pitch teams) and asked staff to provide contacts and an organizational chart at a future meeting to help commissioners identify the appropriate staff members to coordinate outreach. Commissioners also offered to bring ideas from community partners, including exploring ties with professional-team programs and other regional leagues.
The commission did not take any formal action to change program fees or the season schedule during the meeting; commissioners were advised to use the agenda-building process or form a subcommittee (two commissioners) to plan focused outreach and brainstorm strategies between meetings. Staff said they would provide an organizational chart at the next meeting to clarify staff roles and contact points.
The recreation commission adjourned at the conclusion of the meeting.
