Hollister
– The city’s recreation department has substantially increased
its fees, but participation in its softball leagues – the first
programs affected by the fee hikes – haven’t taken a big hit.
Hollister – The city’s recreation department has substantially increased its fees, but participation in its softball leagues – the first programs affected by the fee hikes – haven’t taken a big hit.
Community Services Director Clay Lee said participation in the youth softball league has fallen by between 30 and 35 players, or around 10 percent. However, participation in the adult league has held steady, he said.
Tom Castillo plays in the adult league and coaches a youth team. He said children who play multiple sports are most likely to cut back on their participation. Castillo said his godson, who plays three sports, will probably have to drop soccer from his schedule because of the fee increase.
As part of the city’s attempts to reduce its budget deficits, the recreation department’s sports fees went up 33 percent. For Hollister residents, participation in the youth softball program now costs $77; for youth soccer, the cost is $73.
Laura Vallejo’s son and daughter play soccer with the recreation department. When told that the fees had gone up, she said, “That’s too bad. There are probably a lot of people who won’t be playing.”
Vallejo said it’s too early to know whether the fee increase will affect her children’s participation, but she said she’s heard from many concerned parents.
“A lot of people have told me, ‘Wow, it’s increased a lot,'” Vallejo said.
Complaints don’t necessarily lead to a drop in participation. Castillo said that when the fee increases were announced, there was grumbling among the adult softball players, but the league is still going strong.
“It just seems like people want to play,” Castillo said.
One big reason that youth participation has fallen while adult participation has not, Lee said, is that adults sign up as teams, and those teams are often sponsored by local businesses.
For example, the softball team registration fee is $758, which breaks down to more than $50 per person for a 13- or 14-player team. But Castillo’s team didn’t have to pay a dime, because they’re sponsored by Gary Carlyle, who owns the local McDonald’s restaurants.
Carlyle didn’t balk at the increase, Castillo said, and other businesses have been equally generous.
When the fee increases were discussed in December and January, City Councilwoman Pauline Valdivia said she was very worried that the increases would end up driving people away.
However, Valdivia said Thursday that she’s happy with the current participation rates.
“It’s not too bad,” she said. “Of course, it could be better. … It’s important to keep our kids involved.”
Lee said the 10 percent drop is actually less than he estimated. He also emphasized that if someone wants to participate in a recreation department program, the city will find a way to make it work.
“There won’t be any kids who want to participate who will be turned away,” he said.
Before the hikes, Lee said, most of the department’s youth programs – including soccer, T-ball, basketball, softball, flag football and wrestling – had between 200 and 300 participants. Along with the YMCA, he said, the recreation department offers a less competitive approach to team sports.
Castillo said that the youth softball league can help players improve so that they can play in Little League or the Hollister Heat program.
“Some of the kids never had a parent to take them out and go over the fundamentals,” he said.
Anthony Ha covers local government for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or [email protected].
