To our Weston Sports Association Families,

Since two of our three fields in Weston are under construction this season, our board was left with a difficult decision of how and where our kids can enjoy baseball and softball this year. We understand there are a lot of folks, including us, who aren’t fond of driving to different towns.  We want to be transparent in how we came to this decision.  Here were our options:

Option 1: Play with Platte City

Similar to last year, Platte City will not have any 12U or 14U divisions.  Several age divisions played the same team 2 to 3 times last season. We wanted all age groups to be included through Weston Sports Association and to have a more exciting game schedule experience.

WSA can’t afford to cover the overage in league fees to send 12U & 14U teams to Northland Sports Alliance (NSA). The cost of Tee-ball through 10U would be the same as option 3 below, with uniforms and insurance included for practice and games at Benner Park. WSA and non-affiliated WSA teams are required to carry sports insurance to practice and or play games at Benner Park.  Insurance, uniforms, and umpires are all included in the final price to the families, however 12 U and 14U league fees for this season would be $160 per player as outlined in option 2.

Option 2:  NSA

Price:  $1500 per team with no practices at their facilities. There is a more expensive option of $1800 per team that includes one assigned practice per week at their facilities. WSA assumed that families would want to practice in Weston, so we’ve broken down the $1500 per team option here.  At $1500 per team that breaks down to $125 per player for a 12-player roster.  This price does not include uniforms or insurance requirements to practice in Weston. We are now up around $160 per player once you add in uniforms and insurance requirements. Is this option less travel than option 3? Yes, it is, but we were afraid the NSA option would price some families out of playing and that is not the spirit of recreational baseball and softball.  Fun and affordable is at the forefront of WSA priorities.           

Option 3: Northern Lights Baseball Softball League (NLBSL)

There are zero fees to join this league. The majority of the towns in this league are the same towns our kids will be playing against until they graduate. Yes, traveling sucks! We have been told that the league will do it’s best to ensure each town’s away games are scheduled with distance between the towns in mind, obviously to the extent possible.

In the spirit of recreational baseball and softball, The WSA Board chose NLBSL as the league this season with heavy hearts, knowing that many families would have issues with the travel distances required, but with the hope that all would understand that this would be the best option to keep the recreational cost to a minimum and still provide our players with the best experiences overall.  The WSA board believes this decision to join NLBSL is the most cost-effective option and will provide all of our young players with a memorable baseball and softball season. We hope this information sheds light on our decision and alleviates any questions you all may have. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email us at [email protected]

Regards,

WSA Board Members