TONGANOXIE, Kan. — After the pandemic canceled most spring and summer youth sports leagues, people in Tonganoxie, Kansas are upset that games are still being played on their fields.
Friday, baseball games were taking place at the Leavenworth County Fairgrounds.
The Tonganoxie Recreation Commission told 41 Action News it was the second tournament being hosted at the fields in the last three weeks.
Locals told 41 Action News they are frustrated the fields are being used to host tournaments after local teams had their seasons taken from them.
“Just communicate with the people around the town here and let them know what’s going on,” Blush Salon owner Vicki Starcher said.
Starcher said the Recreation Commission didn’t provide details to locals about its decision to host games. She also believes the commission canceled youth leagues too early in the pandemic.
“I think they called it too soon, not knowing what the situation was going to be, but I wish they would have waited and seen what was going to happen and make some decisions after that,” Starcher said.
As youth sports are making a comeback during the pandemic, the people of Tonganoxie feel more should be done for local kids.
“As you can see, we’ve accepted out of town teams to be playing on our fields, but I think we’ve got two types of standards is what’s going on,” Curtis Oroke said.
Taxpayer dollars help maintain the fields at the Leavenworth County Fairgrounds.
“If our community’s not being able to use it, then why should anyone else be able to us it?” Oroke said.
Gayle Parker, Director of the Recreation Commission told 41 Action News that a 3-week softball and baseball program was offered to local kids who wanted to get back out and play. The instructional summer ball program began on July 6.
Parker told 41 Action News that only 10 percent of local athletes signed up.
