Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Little League unit selects new president

A schoolteacher will lead Belmont Heights, replacing a man who stepped down because of an abuse conviction.

By SHERRI DAY
Published March 11, 2005

TAMPA - For the second time this week, the board of directors at Belmont Heights Little League chose a president.

This time the task goes to Artis Gambrell Jr., a teacher at Memorial Middle School. Gambrell, who was elected at the board's first meeting Thursday night, wants to rid the park of negativity and return to its glory days when its players won championships and advanced to careers in the major leagues.

Monty Bostick, who was elected earlier in the week, resigned. Bostick, 50, stepped down after Little League officials learned that in 1998 he pleaded no contest and was found guilty on a felony charge of child abuse. League guidelines bar anyone convicted of a crime against a minor from participating in the program.

Two other board members also resigned. Bobby Wilds, area supervisor for the Boys & Girls Club, cited health problems; and Henry Washington, principal of Middleton High School, said his schedule would not permit the rigors of board membership.

Gambrell and his board plan to seek three community members to fill the vacated slots. He also said he would move quickly to perform criminal background checks to avoid further impediments to the start of the league's already abbreviated season.

"We want to bring back discipline, a family atmosphere," said Gambrell, 38. "We want our kids to go out and compete and be gentlemen on and off the baseball field."

Gambrell said the board is assessing the league's equipment inventory and would like to start the season next weekend.

Bostick's resignation is the latest in string of embarrassing situations for the historic league. The league was once an international powerhouse that produced major leaguers like Dwight Gooden and Gary Sheffield. But since last year, the program has been embroiled in controversy over its leadership.

Monday night, the league held a communitywide election to choose a board of directors, with monitors present from Little League International, regional and district offices. But with Bostick at the helm, those results were thrown into question. According to police records, he spanked his son with a leather belt and left welts on the child's back and arms.

A former two-time president of the Belmont Heights league, Bostick knew the rules. But he said he thought they only applied to convicted sexual offenders. He said he accepted the community's nomination because they knew his background and still tapped him to serve.

Although he knows he can never work with children at the league, Bostick said he does not plan to go away. "I'm going to enjoy this year and years to come," said Bostick. "I'll just have to be a fan. I'm going to be the best fan they've ever had."

The board seems to have the support of Little League International in Williamsport, Pa. Thursday they delivered good news to the local league. The League's Charter Committee decided to reinstate Belmont Heights' charter. The committee suspended it in January, citing several administrative problems including lack of an election.

"The condition that the Charter Committee needed to be met has been met because the league had an election," said league spokesman Lance Van Auken. "As soon as we get that charter application back, and if everything is filled out correctly on the charter application, then the league will be good to go."

Sherri Day can be reached at 813 226-3405 or sday@sptimes.com

[Last modified March 11, 2005, 01:23:21]