Lack of Safety at Frenship Baseball Fields Must Be Addressed

You'd think a youth baseball team should have a well-maintained and safe environment to play in, right? Then what is going on at the Frenship Youth Baseball fields?

The parents of the young athletes, as well as the founder of Game Changer, Johnny Gains, have been commenting on the unsafe environment and the poor quality of the Frienship Youth Baseball's fields.

"My number one priority as a coach, and any coach at any level, is my kids’ safety. I mean, that's first and foremost," Gains said.

Dylan Hogg, president of Frenship Youth Baseball, has also commented on the issue. He stated that they're a nonprofit that has limited resources. I don't believe this is an acceptable excuse for putting these children in danger of being hurt while playing. There should be a consistent effort to keep the fields well maintained as to avoid needing possible repairs.

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There have also been reports of gunfire across the street from the Lewis Park Frenship Youth Baseball fields during multiple games, causing the young players to lay on the ground in fear of being in harm's way.

The first shooting happened on April 30th. Shots were reported at the Elle Apartments, just before 9:17 p.m. I cannot imagine the fear that the kids and parents experienced in that moment. This led to the cancellation of games scheduled at the Lewis Park fields.

The fact that the safety of our local children needs to even be a discussion is not okay. There should not have been multiple occasions of shots fired before canceling the games.

This is unacceptable. The safety of the city's residents, especially its children, is vital. We need to be ensuring that the fields are well-maintained and the nearby areas are safe for these young athletes to enjoy their sport.

Friends and family should be able to come and watch their little ones play, free of stress, and enjoy America’s favorite pastime in the right way.