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‘Let Us Play at Home’ campaign launched for new sports complex

Photo courtesy of Carter West In what has become a common sight — even from a drone vantage — most of the the Charles City Comet baseball field underwater after a heavy rainfall earlier this year.
Photo courtesy of Carter West
In what has become a common sight — even from a drone vantage — most of the the Charles City Comet baseball field underwater after a heavy rainfall.
By John Burbridge sports@charlescitypress.com

CHARLES CITY — In other parts of the world, lakes are drying up.

In this part of the world, one seems to be forming.

“We’ve been playing there since 1968, the year of the tornado,” said Charles City activity director Todd Forsyth, in reference to Sportsmen’s Park, the 50-year home of the Comet baseball and softball teams.

“Throughout the years, the floodplain has expanded … the ground and soil have changed due to the repeated floodings. It’s just going to continue to get worse.”

This past season, during a spring and summer that can be considered moderate compared to 2016, the Comet baseball team had nine varsity home games played on away diamonds. During this past June, the baseball team was only able to use its home field six times for games and practices for the entire month.

According to a FAQ newsletter released by the school district, more than 200 home baseball and softball games (at all levels) have either been canceled or moved to an away location in the last eight years.

“Charles City has had a rich history of success with our baseball and softball programs,” Forsyth said. “We’ve had great players come through here … hall of fame coaches.

“We want to keep that tradition going. But in order to do that, we need a new complex.”

In April of 2017, the Charles City School District purchased 20 acres north of Sportmen’s Park, bordering the city limits and out of the expanding floodplain for a new sports complex.

The initial stage of the project will include one natural grass softball field and one baseball field, which will have a synthetic turf infield — similar to Hertel Field at Wartburg College, which is also the home field for Waverly-Shell Rock — and a natural grass outfield. The tentative “ballpark figures” are 185’-210’-185’ for the softball field and 320’-360’-320’ for the baseball field.

Subsequent additions are to include soccer fields for the CCHS’s recently launched soccer program, and new tennis courts for a program that has ambitions to include a boys team in the near future.

“But right now our focus is on the baseball and softball fields,” Forsyth said.

The original timeframe was to have the new fields ready for play by spring of next year. Forsyth says a more realistic grand opening-day date will likely be 2020.

“One thing is for sure, we will get it done,” he said.

The initial estimate for new baseball and softball diamonds with lights for each field and a one entrance and one exit parking lot adjacent to where Grand Avenue becomes Shadow Avenue outside the city limits is $1,984,281. The cost to complete the fields without lights — which is the current priority — is $1,484,281. The project is being funded with the allocation of up to $500,000 of Statewide Penny Sales Tax funds as a dollar per dollar match for fundraising received through local donations and grant funding.

With a fundraising committee of coaches, administration, parents and local business leaders, there is an ongoing grant procuring effort as well as reaching out for donations and support from alumni, local businesses and organizations.

Currently, a promotional fundraising effort with the motto “Help Us Play at Home” has been launched. Those wishing to donate less than $1,000 may click on the HUPAH page at CharlesCitySchools.org. Those wishing to donate $1,000 or more should contact one of the committee members who are listed on the page with personal contact information.

As of now the plot of land which is to be the new sports complex is already being utilized by Charles City students.

“The local FFA is using it to plant soybeans,” Forsyth said.

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