City of Conway taking steps to ensure fun at ball parks

Moving forward, the Conway Parks and Recreation Department will have a zero tolerance policy for disruptive behavior

Mayor Bart Castleberry has asked the Conway Police Department to increase their presence during league games at Conway Station Park and City of Colleges Park. The mayor also asked the Parks and Recreation Department to move forward with a zero tolerance policy for disruptive behavior.

“I’ve approved overtime for our officers. This will not affect regularly scheduled patrol shifts of the Conway Police Department. Only off duty officers.” said Mayor Castleberry. “My goal is for parents and children to enjoy themselves throughout the Summer. I know everyone gets excited and competitive. That’s ok. But, we need to remember this is a recreational league for our kids.”

In an email to parents, program manager Pat Burton cited an increase in disappointing behavior by coaches and parents at recreational league games.

“Each night after league play, we are receiving more and more calls from parents and grandparents concerned by the behavior they are seeing demonstrated by coaches and parents of their own teams and others teams,” added Burton.

Moving forward, the Conway Parks and Recreation Department will have a zero tolerance policy for the following:

• A coach yelling, cursing, or acting irrationally at an umpire, another coach, or a child/parent will be removed from the game and will have to leave the park.
• Parents in the stand that curse or are disrespectful toward umpires, coaches, or children will be asked to leave.
• The only person allowed to discuss or approach the umpire is the coach that administers the coin flip at the start of the game. He or she will be the head coach for the game and any other coach or parent who approaches the umpire during the game will be asked to leave.
• Any parent or coach who pursues an umpire after a game will be asked to leave.
• Only (3) adults will be allowed in the dugout for kid pitch leagues and (4) adults will be allowed in coach pitch leagues.

“Parents need to remember that this is a recreation league. Besides learning the game, this is all about having fun,” said Steve Ibbotson, director of the Parks and Recreation Department.