By Greg Bates
Correspondent
HOWARD/SUAMICO – The impact the Howard Suamico Youth Sports Association (HSYSA) is having on its two neighboring communities has been resounding.
Participation numbers for the three sports – flag football, baseball and softball – the association offers are hitting all-time highs.
This year alone, more than 1,000 kids ages 3 to 14 have competed in a sport in the association.
Those numbers show HSYSA President Mike Simoens everything is running smoothly and moving in the right direction.
“I think the kids and the parents desire to have quality activities to participate in and get away from some of the other distractions out there for young people,” Simoens said. “Also, this gets them off the couch away from some of the technology and gets them participating in fun activities.”
The baseball league had 671 participants this summer for kids pre-K to eighth grade.
There were 55 teams in pre-K to sixth grade, two Pony League teams (seventh grade) and two Babe Ruth teams (eighth grade).
“Our leagues focus on fair play for all and equal playing time, giving players of all skill levels opportunities to play baseball, learn more about the game and play several positions,” HSYSA baseball commissioner Harvey Knutson said.
The flag football program has 491 kids ages 3-12 playing this fall.
There are 40 teams with over 70 volunteer coaches.
“This is our highest enrollment in the program since its inception,” HSYSA flag football commissioner Mike Budahn said.
According to HSYSA softball commissioner Jared VandenBranden, there were around 350 kids in the softball program from T-ball to 14U.
HSYSA, which is a non-profit organization, has a simple but effective approach to attracting and maintaining youth athletes in the programs: teach them the basics and let them fall in love with the sport.
“We are focusing on fun and fundamentals more than anything,” said Simoens, who was the Bay Port varsity baseball coach for 26 years before he stepped down last June. “Obviously, all the baseball players who come through the youth rec program eventually end up transitioning into our baseball club travel teams and the baseball program.”
The same formula is used for softball and flag football, which morph into Pirate FastPitch softball and the football program.
Bill Monfre, who was the association president from 2002-15, saw the impact of the baseball and softball programs firsthand when he had two kids, Ali and Thomas, take part in the sports.
“It was tremendous,” Monfre said. “In addition to the leagues and the things the Howard Suamico Youth Sports Association ran, there were other opportunities to be part of tournament teams and traveling teams. Those opportunities were afforded to our children because they had participated in the league through the association.”
With the popularity of the flag football, baseball and softball programs at an all-time high in the HSYSA, getting adults to dedicate their time on a volunteer basis – as coaches and board members – is of the utmost importance.
“One of the strengths of our group is our dedicated volunteer directors and board members,” Simoens said. “A lot of them have been around a long time and have given hundreds of hours of volunteer service to the youth in our communities.”
The association’s board of directors includes Simoens, Knutson, VandenBranden, Budahn, vice president Cory Gilmet, treasurer Dave Luedke, concession commissioner Linn Heinzen, Howard leisure services’ Jon Rupno, Suamico Parks and Recreation’s Leah Hackmaster and secretary Milissa Bergman.
The HSYSA primarily runs its programs out of Nouryon Sports Complex (formerly Akzo Nobel) in Howard.
Its 92-acre facility consists of four lighted softball diamonds, four batting cases and 10 soccer fields.
The programs also play in other area facilities, including Calavera Springs Park and Idlewild Park in Suamico and Pinewood Park in Howard.
When Monfre was association president, he played a big role in capital improvements to the parks in Howard and Suamico.
He put in lights, batting cages, scoreboards, bullpen areas and rebuilt an entire diamond at Meadowbrook Park.
Monfre also added scoreboards at Calavera.
“My role as president, I wasn’t involved in the operations, so to speak,” Monfre said. “I wasn’t running a softball league or running a baseball league. My role was mainly as the liaison with the villages in helping prioritize where we were going to be investing in the parks.”
As the current president, Simoens is working to update and upgrade the facilities used by the association’s sports teams.
Simoens said the next big project in store for HSYSA is building two baseball/softball diamonds and an extra practice field at Nouryon Sports Complex – the diamonds are smaller for peewee players.
“The amount of space we had, that’s all we could fit over there,” Simoens said.
Simoens is working aggressively with the board of directors to get other improvement projects approved.
“We would like to get lights at one of our other parks, but that’s a process,” Simoens said. “Adding lights might give us some more space. We’re looking at getting some new dugouts at some of the diamonds which currently have chain-linked dugouts.”
Building more baseball and softball diamonds and adding soccer fields will keep up with the demand of kids wanting to play in the HSYSA.
Having too many kids who desire to compete is a good problem to have.
“We’re pretty crowded,” Simoens said. “I wouldn’t say there’s no room, but every year we have to get creative – especially in the spring when teams are practicing. We need many more diamonds in the spring for practice because everybody needs their space. This is why we’re adding diamonds out by the park. That’s why we’re looking at lights at the other diamonds – to free up space and be able to have more games going on at the same time.”