The move to continue the forward momentum in youth sports in Perry could soon take another step, as the Perry Community School District Board of Education will consider adding baseball and softball at the middle school level at their Nov. 8 meeting.
Perry Activities Director Scott Pierce will make a presentation asking the board to consider the addition. The potential move has the support of the varsity and youth coaches in Perry.
Perry became a member of the HOIC this August and is the only school in the league without the two sports at the middle school level.
Under the proposed addition, the district would need to hire a head coach for each sport, which would be played by a combined grades 6-8 team. Umpires and scoreboard personnel for games would be high school players assigned by their coaches. Players chosen for such duties would be required to attend rules meetings, with the varsity coach of each sport also attending.
Expenses would partially be defrayed by Perry Youth Baseball and the Perry Girls Softball Association covering uniform costs. The PGSA has agreed to provide new set of catcher gear and another in good condition as well offering practice and game balls.
Field maintenance on the respective diamonds would be coordinated through the high school and new junior high coaching staffs.
The importance of filling the open spot in youth development, especially considering it being the step below the high school level, is a primary motivation to create the new teams.
Doing so would also facilitate closer working relationships with the other HOIC schools, all of which, as mentioned, already offer the two sports for their middle school students.
