Tom Castillo and Darrell Clayton aren’t about to let a lack of
funding keep them from being involved with softball.
The two players, who are both also umpires, decided to take
matters into their own hands.
Tom Castillo and Darrell Clayton aren’t about to let a lack of funding keep them from being involved with softball.
The two players, who are both also umpires, decided to take matters into their own hands.
When the city suggested the possibility of running a private league because of the budget cutbacks, they jumped at the opportunity. With the help of the city and the local Kiwana’s club, there will be coed softball this summer.
“When we started talking about cutting programs, we automatically begin to think of ways we could get them started elsewhere,” said Robert Baumgartner, the Chairman of the City Parks and Recreation. “We sat down and talked to Darrell and Tom. Everything sounded good except for the insurance part. So I told them to check with some of the local service clubs.”
As an officer with the Kiwana’s club, which has about 20 members, Baumgartner was able to arrange the use of the club’s national insurance policy for the league.
“It was like killing two birds with one stone, being able to help with the league and get the club involved more with the community,” Baumgartner said.
They met with the County Parks Commission to get permission to use the field. The Veterans Commission voted unanimously to allow usage of the park and waived the franchise fee of about $300.
If the non-profit league had to fork out the extra $3,000 or so for insurance, Castillo said he would have had to ask the teams to pick it up, raising the cost to play.
Because the league doesn’t have to pay for administrative costs and salaries, it doesn’t have to charge as much as the Recreation Department does. The cost is $381 per team, whereas last year it was $545.
City Management Services Director Clay Lee estimated that the city could save as much as $15,000 by not having the coed league.
“A lot of times people don’t realize how many hours are put in by the staff that have to be charged back to the program,” Lee said. “To truly break even, we would probably have to charge another couple hundred dollars per team.”
The city is paying for the cost of field maintenance this year to help the league out.
“We felt it was important to do that the first year in hopes that the financial situation will be better next year to continue the program,” Lee said. “But we have to be realistic about it, and we may have to look to other people to help keep it going.”
For about a month, Castillo has been handing out packets to teams interested. Originally, plans were to limit the league to the first 30 teams, but the interest has been high and they have had to expand the enrollment.
For many players, coed softball is a chance for husbands and wives to get together and have the chance to compete.
“It is a real relaxed atmosphere,” said Castillo, who has been playing for 21 years. “A lot of people look forward to that time when they can get away from their jobs and from the stress. And they didn’t want to see it end.”
Last year, there were 28 teams in the coed Hollister Recreation League. But this year, Castillo said he expects about 36.
The league is slated to begin July 12 with games running Monday through Thursday and makeup games on Friday. There will be five or six divisions.
The season is scheduled to be 12 games (five regular season games and playoffs for each half). But this year, the championship team will truly be represented because the teams will play the best two of three games.
Castillo, whose men’s team won the Division 3 championship on Monday, was a little disappointed with the trophies he received this year. And he vowed that wouldn’t be one of the areas that he skimped out on in the new league. He also plans on giving out sweatshirts instead of T-shirts to the champions.
The teams have to be registered with the American Softball Association in order to maintain discipline and rules. There is a $13 charge per team to register.
Umpires are paid $18 per game and are required to pass a 100-question test to be certified through ASA.
Castillo, the chief umpire for the men’s and women’s leagues, says he doesn’t plan to play despite the urging of several players in the league. And he is uncertain whether he wants to sponsor a men’s softball league if it is cut but said he would consider it.
“They should be commended for stepping forward and taking it on because it is a big task,” Lee said.
“It’s been really negative with the politics,” Baumgartner added. “But as a native Hollister person this is the attitude that I like to see – people stepping up and being willing to help.”
Castillo, who was born and raised in Hollister, got drafted to play on the McDonald’s team when he was 18 and has played ever since. At a company picnic, Castillo showed his range in the outfield to make a couple amazing catches on balls hit by his bosses – one was a Willie Mays basket-style snag.
McDonald’s owner Gary Carlisle asked him to play after seeing his hardball talents.
“The first day after the picnic I went in to work and asked when the practice was, but no one knew,” Castillo said. “I eventually found out I was the only one there who played.”
After that practice, the team went out to get some pizza and drinks. Castillo received some criticism from his teammates when he refused to drink beer.
“They told me I would never last on the team if I didn’t drink, but here I am 21 years later and still on the team,” Castillo said.
