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Compromise for the sake of Belmont league's kids

By ERNEST HOOPER
Published January 27, 2005

Youth sports officials should be like stagehands in a dramatic production, always focusing the spotlight on the stars of the show.

Unfortunately, the officers, coaches and parents at Belmont Heights Little League have turned the spotlight on themselves, and now the stars - the kids who aspire to follow Belmont baseball legends Dwight Gooden and Gary Sheffield - are one step from being left in the dark. The 2005 season is on hold because a dispute has prevented Belmont Heights from complying with Little League rules.

A perfect storm of personalities and power is swirling around Tampa's famed ball league, which plays at its complex at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and 22nd Street.

David James, the director of Little League's urban initiative program in Williamsport, Pa., came to Tampa this week to meet with people on both sides of a dispute between the president, Annette Jenkins, and people who say she has abused her power.

Monday, Jenkins and Belmont's board of directors gave their side. Tuesday, the community members demanding a change in leadership had their say.

This is a big deal at City Hall. Observers at Tuesday's meeting included City Council member Rose Ferlita, Tampa police Chief Stephen Hogue, Tampa police Maj. George McNamara and Ed Johnson, the city's East Tampa development director.

James insists the issues can be ironed out in time to salvage the season.

But for now, the kids - the whole reason the league exists - await a resolution. Most of the county's other leagues have already started practicing.

At the center of the storm is Jenkins, who is credited with helping revive the Belmont program after it had fallen into disarray in the 1990s. Few would dispute that Jenkins has made the park and program better since taking over in 2002.

Through her efforts, the city donated more than $40,000 for resodding and a new irrigation system. The Devil Rays pitched in $10,000 to improve fields, Lowe's led a $20,000 renovation of the concession stand, and Little League Baseball gave a $20,000 grant through its urban initiative.

But critics question Jenkins' methods to ensure her hard work doesn't go to waste. She's not without supporters, but detractors criticize her approach. Jenkins has used harshly worded letters to ban "troublemakers," including parents and coaches who violated protocol or challenged her authority.

Complicating matters is the failure of Jenkins and the Belmont board to comply with several Little League requirements, including holding an annual election, which could result in Jenkins' ouster.

James said he was disappointed the meetings didn't result in more concrete answers. What he largely discovered is that the people involved are better at pointing fingers than pointing toward resolutions.

This is an opportunity to teach the Belmont kids a valuable lesson in the art of compromise. Jenkins fears that if she's not president, the park will deteriorate again. She argues that many of the people who want her out are the same people who allowed the park to falter years ago.

So perhaps Jenkins should seek a spot on the board of directors, which ideally should have an even mix of the two factions. That way she could continue to help.

But she shouldn't run for president. She should support someone who has her trust and the backing of those so eager for new leadership. A president who can bridge the divide could draw more volunteers.

And the board, not the president, should become the governing authority, dealing with "troublemakers" and other issues with due process.

Anyone who suggests Jenkins should be excluded is ignoring the care she has shown for the kids. Anyone who suggests Jenkins should remain president is ignoring that some of the banned people deserve a second chance because they have also shown care for the kids.

Notice, I've referred to kids five times in this column. Hopefully, you're getting the point.

That's all I'm saying.

- Ernest Hooper can be reached at 813 226-3406 or Hooper@sptimes.com

[Last modified January 27, 2005, 00:40:21]