It’s a unique perspective, one that the Ball Park Dad cannot understand and one the Soccer Mom dreams to achieve.
It’s the through the eyes of the Ball Park Mom where the logistics, planning and execution of a successful summer sports trip come to fruition.
The Ball Park Mom can invariably list several characteristics that she considers to be automatic when it comes to summer sports travel.
“Umpires who know what they are doing, clean restrooms at the stadium, adequate and comfortable seating,” said one mother Thursday afternoon at Jaycee Ballpark listing the qualities almost as fluid as if they were chapter from the fictitious book The Ultimate Travel Guide for the Sports Mom.
Make no mistake about it though, if you really want to know the priorities for those who cheer the loudest in the stands, make the run to concession stand for the water and Gatorade, correct the public address announcer on name pronunciations of each player, keep the scorebook, take photos, buy tournament shirts, find post-game dining and entertainment options and clean the uniforms after the game, there’s no better source than the Ball Park Mom
Two such Ball Park Moms were praising the weather and atmosphere during the Premier Baseball Incoming Freshman World Series at Jaycee Ballpark on Thursday and offered a unique insight into the priorities necessary for successful sports travel.
“The first thing is accommodations, where we are staying and the expense,” said Shari Mallory of Arlington, Texas who was watching her son, Dustin, 14, a pitcher-shortstop for the Arlington A’s.
“Cleanliness of the hotel, after that, access to laundry service at the hotel, if not, close to the hotel. After that, it’s dining, some place that can handle a large group, all at once and have a good ratio of servers to customers. After the game is over, the team likes to eat together and having to wait a long time tends to make for a bad experience. It also helps if the restaurant is patient enough to work with the large group.
“Convenience store’s are of importance, which would be next followed by a little bit of entertainment for boys afterwards. In the summer, a cool place like the movies (movie theater) or miniature golf is affordable options.”
Mallory said the Premier World Series marked her 10th tournament she has traveled to this summer.
“And of the 10, the atmosphere and facility here in Pittsburg would rank it in the top 3,” Mallory said. “So many of the fields we have played at are hot, dusty and have no shade. Normally, I’m carrying an umbrella and it isn’t because of the rain. The weather here has been great.”
The one thing she dreads the most about summer sports travel?
“The unknown. Are we going to have to play one game, then turn around and play again at a park 30 minutes away? Things you have no other control over,” Mallory said.
Cindy Knotts of Colleyville, Texas, offered a different perspective on the Ball Park Mom. The mother of three boys – Brian, age 21 a student at the University of Oklahoma, Brad, 18, a student at Texas A&M and Blake, 14, a pitcher-first baseman for the Arlington A’s – Cindy is a veteran Ball Park Mom having spent over a decade following her sons during the summer sports travel season.
“It has gotten to the point that the most important thing for me is that the hotel have maps and directions to ballpark,” Knotts said. “It wasn’t bad getting here (from Joplin, Mo.), but the directions we were given were a little confusing when you consider some roads had more than one name.
“After that, the priorities are clean lodging with laundry service, restaurants that can handle large groups on busy nights and know that a large tournament is in town and have extra staff on hand to handle that crowd.
“It’s good to know also where the closest Wal-Mart is because we will have to buy water and Gatorade and if the hotel is not close to the Wal-Mart, they better be able to tell how to get there. It’s nice to have brochures and information right there at the hotel.”
For Knotts, it was interesting to know after traveling for so many years and so many places, if and how has sports travel changed over the years?
“Technology, like GPS navigation, has made it a little easier to find places, but otherwise, it’s still the same. Some places, especially the smaller places we have been to, understand what it means to the community when we come to town, some of the larger places not so much,” Knotts said. “I’ve been to Fort Lauderdale for a tournament and it was as if big deal, just another tournament in town. I think more and more people are beginning to understand and become aware of the financial impact an event like this has on a community. Some embrace it and support it, others take it for granted.”
With the Fourth of July holiday falling in the middle of the tournament, Mallory said the team had planned a special team-related function.
“(Being away from family) is part of the deal, we accept it. Instead, several of the mom’s have planned to take the team to Springfield for a minor league game (Cardinals vs. Frisco at Hammons Field at 7:10 p.m. with a post-game fireworks display), so that’s how we will spend our holiday this year,” Mallory said.
What about a vacation this summer?
“Vacation? Vacation? This IS over vacation,” Mallory said. “We’re going to have to go back to work to recover from this.”
Upcoming events
With a holiday weekend on tap, a number of fun things are taking place in and around Crawford County, be sure to get out and about and enjoy these activities:
• Today and continuing through Sunday, the Premier Baseball Association Incoming Freshman World Series continues at Jaycee Ballpark in Pittsburg and six other fields in Joplin, Seneca, Mo., Carl Junction, Mo., and Baxter Springs featuring a 22-team field. For more information, contact the Joplin Sports Authority at (417) 625-1006 or log onto www.joplinsports.org.
• Today, the 22nd annual Independence Day Celebration & Fireworks Display in Girard will feature food, kids games, inflatables, live music, face painting and tattoos, free watermelon and a patriotic program. For more information, contact the Girard Chamber of Commerce at (620) 724-4715, girardchamber@ckt.net.
• Today, the 39th annual Hepler Ruritan Club 4th of July Celebration and Rodeo will feature a large rodeo with bareback riding, saddle bronc, steer wrestling, team roping, barrel racing, bull riding and breakaway roping, mutton bustin’, calf scramble and bull chariot races. A dance follows the rodeo on tonight from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. On Saturday, the Hepler 4-H Club sponsors a parade followed by kids’ games, Hillbilly Games and more rodeo. For more information, contact Kim Harris with the Hepler Ruritan at (620) 368-4792.
• Saturday, the City of Pittsburg Independence Day Celebration will include a large fireworks display and family day in the park. Baby contest, 5K run, tennis tournament, golf tournament, bike ride, horseshoe and bocce tournaments, disc golf tournament, a mock battle by the 772nd Engineer Company, the Summer Sing Off Competition, Red, White and Blue Parade, Kids Festival, a hot dog eating contest, dog show, car and motorcycle show, free swimming at the Pittsburg Aquatic Center, food, arts and crafts, live music by Area 51 and activities for all ages. For more information, contact the Pittsburg Parks and Recreation Department at (620) 231-8310 or log onto http://www.pittks.org.
• Sunday, the Mirza Shriners will host its First Sunday Breakfast open to the public the first Sunday of each month at the Mirza Shrine Temple, 110 West Fifth Street in Pittsburg from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. For $6, diners can get all you can eat pancakes, biscuits and gravy, sausage, bacon and much, much more. For more information, contact the Mirza Shriners at (620) 231-4180 or log onto www.mirzashriners.com.
Craig Hull is the director of the Crawford County Convention and Visitors Bureau. It is the purpose of the Crawford County Convention and Visitors Bureau to promote travel and tourism in Crawford County, Southeast Kansas and the Midwest. He can be reached at chull@pittsburgareachamber.com or at 1-800-879-1112.
PITTSBURG —
