GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Margo Mollan says it’s hard to recognize Riverside Park, the home of Northern Little League, with ripped up fields and damaged dugouts.
“The first time I drove past, I was heartbroken and very surprised,” said Mollan. “It’s really hard.”
As a kid, the now Grand Rapids mother played softball for the organization, which was founded in 1953.
“I would play my game and then I would go watch my siblings games and then I'd go watch my classmates games,” said Mollan. “It was just something that you did.”
Mollan dedicated years to Northern Little League as did her family. She says her grandfather, George LeMire, served as its president for nearly a decade in the 1960s and even got a field dedicated to him because of his efforts. More recently, Mollan’s sons learned how to play baseball through the organization.
“It’s hard to sum everything up,” said Mollan. “It’s such a big legacy and tradition in our family.”
This season though, Mollan’s family’s connection comes to an end.
On Sunday, Northern Little League announced it would merge with fellow N-4 league, Northeastern.
“We just wanted our kids to have more opportunities to have competitive gains and to build community on their team,” said Brenda Hastings, Northern Little League board president.
Hastings calls it a difficult decision to make, but says in 2014, Little League International began to allow kids to play with organizations that coincided with their school of choice. As a result, Northern Little League’s registration numbers dropped and the league became unmanageable.
“In an age group where we once had eight teams of players, now we have four or now we have three,” said Hastings. “What was really becoming painfully obvious to us [too] was that without registration, without kids registering, we were short on parents, we were short on volunteers. We were threatening to cancel entire teams of players because we couldn't find people willing to coach them. That just became really the drain that we just couldn't keep up with.”
According to the city of Grand Rapids, most of the fields will remain green space. A spokesperson says Food Truck Fridays will be held in the area beginning in May.
Hastings knows when a community loses part of its history it leaves an impact, but hopes people eventually understand and support a new generation of players.
“It’s about … what it means to be on a team and building up confidence so that they're not afraid of the ball or afraid to take a swing at the ball and what that actually means when you put it into into perspective of real life,” said Hastings.
