Veterans Memorial Park {Part 5 - Football}

The Union High School football team has been trampling area teams the past couple years, and part of that may be due to the strong junior league in town.

"Our youth sports programs feed into the high school programs. Union High School has had a good run of successful sports teams which I believe is due in part to the hard work and dedication of those involved in youth sports," stated Jeff Watson, President of the Union Wildcats Junior Football League. "It’s a source of pride in our community."

Team sports teach important life skills to children, and the junior football league is all about teaching the young men skills.

According to Watson, Union Wildcats Junior Football League will have approximately 200 participants in the 2012 football season on 8 teams for kids in grades 3rd through 8th.

Last year, there were 7 teams...with 5 teams practicing on one field at the middle school and 2 other teams practicing on baseball fields. Just a little crowded...

The high school allows the use of their field for games, but in the event of heavy rain, the high school field cannot be used...and that can be detrimental to the Union program. Last year, when the Union team had earned a home playoff game, the game was moved to Washington because of heavy rain. Union still had to pay the referees, but Washington collected the gate receipts and concessions.

Photo used with permission

Watson added that an additional venue for games and practices for the football league would be very beneficial to the football program as well as the baseball program. The Union fall baseball league is growing, but the field space is limited with fall baseball and football running at the same time. By having enough football practice facilities, more fields are freed up for fall baseball to be able to expand.

***


On Tuesday, June 5th, Proposition Parks will be the only item on a special ballot. A "yes" vote will be for a .5% additional sales tax, making the tax rate 8.975%. The revenue from this tax is solely for the parks department, and cannot be used for anything else, according to the city website.

What does that amount translate to?

• on a $12 hanging basket from Platt's Nursery - 6 cents extra
• on a $27 knife from a Pampered Chef consultant - 14 cents extra
• on a $95 stack of college class supplies at the ECC Bookstore - 48 cents extra

Voting will only be held at the Union City Hall Auditorium, 500 East Locust, Union. However, voters may also cast an absentee ballot beforehand if they will not be able to vote on June 5th. The Union Parks Department may be reached at 636-583-8471.

Missed the previous posts? Here they are:
{Part 4 - Trails and Lakes}
{Part 3 - Soccer}
{Part 2 - Pavilions}
{Part 1 - Baseball}

Just one more post to go on the 43.8 acre proposed Veterans Memorial Park...playgrounds.

Author: Tyann Marcink

Veterans Memorial Park {Part 3 - Soccer}

The Bourbeuse River flood plain is flooded every weekend in September and October. If not with water, with soccer games and hundreds of boys and girls, as well as their families with their camping chairs.

Parents line the fields in camping chairs to watch the kids play soccer.

There are 36 soccer teams that play in the Union Soccer Association, utilizing 72 coaches and 6 fields. The players range from ages 4 years to 18 years old. The games are refereed by older boys and girls, the porta-potties are bright blue, and the concession stand is on wheels.

Why would the concessions be on wheels? So it can be moved when the river floods. The question during soccer season is not "Will the river flood?" but "When will the river flood?"

From early on, the players learn life skills from team sports.

And when the river floods, the fields are out of commission for several days after the water recedes. The association board carefully watches the river levels so they can quickly move the goals, benches, trash cans, concessions, and porta-potties out of the way of the water.

Practices are held during the week beginning July 20th, and games are held on the weekends, through October 31st. There are no lights, so fields are only playable during daylight.

Fun while learning!

According to Dawn Thompson, Union Soccer Association, the majority of players are from Union, with some from Beaufort and the surrounding area. The older teams travel to other towns to play, including Washington, St. Clair, Pacific, and Gerald.

With the new Veterans Memorial Park, the soccer players would have two additional fields to play on (ones that don't flood), actual restrooms (yeah!), a permanent concession stand (no more mud to cover with planks), and my hope, bleachers.

Tournaments could then be held in Union, Thompson added, bringing people in from the surrounding areas, and thus money being spent in our local restaurants and stores. These people would then be helping to pay for our new park when they go out for celebratory pizza and ice cream after the games.

On Tuesday, June 5th, Proposition Parks will be the only item on a special ballot. A "yes" vote will be for a .5% additional sales tax, making the tax rate 8.975%. The revenue from this tax is solely for the parks department, and cannot be used for anything else, according to the city website.

What does that amount translate to?

• on a $12 pizza from Benito's - 6 cents extra
• on a $40 oil change at Advanced Automotive - 20 cents extra
• on a $489 washer from Appliance Connection - $2.45 extra

Voting will only be held at the Union City Hall Auditorium, 500 East Locust, Union. However, voters may also cast an absentee ballot beforehand if they will not be able to vote on June 5th. The Union Parks Department may be reached at 636-583-8471.

Missed the previous posts? Here they are:
{Part 2 - Pavilions}
{Part 1 - Baseball}

Up next: more on the other areas of the 43.8 acre Veterans Memorial Park...walking trails, splash pad, playground, and football fields.

Author: Tyann Marcink
Photos: Marcink Designs

Veterans Memorial Park {Part 1 - Baseball}

Nearly every weekday evening and weekend day from April through June, there are many boys scattered throughout the Union parks playing a game of baseball or having a practice. And with 560 boys playing on just 5 game fields, it gets a little crowded.

A team of t-ball boys getting ready to take the field.

I was a little overwhelmed myself when I heard the number of boys playing baseball this year...560 baseball gloves to get home each night, 46 teams to run the bases, 1,120 sweaty socks thrown in the laundry, and thousands of parents, grandparents, siblings, and other family who come into Union to watch these sweet boys play a wonderful game of baseball.

Coaches (aka Dads and Moms) are integral to the league's success.

So one section of the proposed Veterans Memorial Park is for additional baseball fields - 4 regular size and 1 tournament size. And with the rate the baseball program is growing, the league is beyond the desperation point. Consider that just 4 years ago, there were approximately 400 players, according to Jim Jedrey, league organizer. That is a 40% increase!

A few more facts from Jedrey about the program:

• participating boys are ages 4 years to 18 years old
• roughly 200 adults volunteer for managing and coaching
• 450 of the players are from Union
• 110 players are from 12 towns in the surrounding area

Not only are these boys having fun playing one of the greatest games, but they are learning important life skills:

• teamwork
• focus
• positive attitude
• following instructions
• playing by the rules
• listening
• good sportsmanship
• and more

Good sportsmanship begins early.

On Tuesday, June 5th, the Proposition Park will be on a ballot for registered voters to decide if they want a small sales tax to fund the building of this amazing park in Union. The sales tax is a mere one-half cent. What does that calculate to?

• on a $4 hot dog from the Hot Dog Man - 2 cents extra
• on a $35 order of pizza from Benito's - 17.5 cents extra
• on a $95 prom dress from Margo's A Wedding Place - 47.5 cents extra
• on a $175 grocery bill at Frick's - 87.5 cents extra

The little bit of extra change from each person shopping in Union adds up to an amazing park for not just our residents, but for the surrounding area.

Up next: more on the other areas of the 43.8 acre Veterans Memorial Park...walking trails, splash pad, pavilions, playground, soccer and football fields, and more.

All those dirty socks...

"Baseball" - by Marcink Designs

Author: Tyann Marcink

Photos by: Marcink Designs