Volunteers help make intramural softball season successful

  • Published
  • By Kendahl Johnson
  • 377th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  When eight teams square off Aug. 20 for the first round of the intramural softball playoffs, the significance of the games won't be lost on the players, as this season nearly didn't take place.

Due to sequestration, the fitness center didn't have funds in the budget to run intramural softball.

"We didn't want to cancel the season, but with our budget, affording a contract for officials was not feasible," said Martin Sibley, assistant director at the fitness center.

Fitness center employees started looking at a few different options to salvage the season, including commercial sponsorships or a "pay as you play" system.

Ultimately, they decided to see if they league could sustain a volunteer program.

"We told the players, 'this is not our sport, it's your sport,'" Sibley said. "The response was overwhelming. They wanted to have a season and were willing to help out to make it happen."

Each team in the league was asked to provide two umpires and a scorekeeper. These volunteers were tested on their knowledge of the rules and given some on-the-field training.

Sibley said there were a few wrinkles in the beginning, but overall, having volunteers from teams umpire games was very successful.

"We got off to a rocky start, but we've since had nothing but positive feedback," Sibley said. "There have been no appeals and I've heard a lot of good things overall. These guys wanted to play, and we found a way to make it happen."

Volunteers will be umpiring the single-elimination playoff games as well, which start Aug. 20. The 377th Weapons System Security Squadron's team went undefeated in the regular season to nab the No. 1 seed. The 58th Maintenance Squadron team lost just two games and was atop the American Division, and will be the No. 2 seed.

The No. 3 seed is the 898th Munitions Squadron team, whose only regular-season loss was to the 377th WSSS.

The fitness center will likely run a similar volunteer system for intramural football, which starts later in August.