Organizer plans free baseball league for kids

Driving home from work last June, Spokane native Ron Shine noticed something that changed his direction in life.

Just after his early shift as a part-time /parking attendant at Sacred Heart Medical Center, Shine’s trip through the West Central neighborhood tugged at his heart.

“I saw a number of young people standing around with nothing to do,” said Shine, who also coaches Gonzaga Prep’s junior varsity football team. “They had no direction.”

Recently retired from USF Riddaway after 20 years, and a former Spokane Youth Sports Association baseball coordinator, Shine saw a need. He decided to use his extra time and experience coaching to form a no-cost baseball league for West Central youth.

“I said ‘I’ve got the time and I can do it,’ ” Shine, 43, said, recalling his experience organizing teams for 1,100 kids while working for the SYSA in 2006. “But if I was going to do this, I wanted to do it with purpose.”

Using his SYSA experience, he began planning the West Central Community Baseball Association, incorporating a community service element. Shine believes it is the first no-cost league in the city designed to give kids everything they need to play ball: a uniform, equipment and instruction.

In return, he wants the kids to give back to the community by helping during organized events.

“It’s a full circle,” Shine said. “The sponsors and league help the kids, the kids in turn help the community, and the community centers provide the projects.”

“I’m totally behind it,” West Central Community Center recreation and facility manager Rick Harris said. “I believe in giving kids opportunity. The more opportunity they have the better chance they will succeed in life.”

Though Shine’s intent is to encourage kids to participate in the community events, it is not required to play ball.

Shine anticipates forming coed teams from a pool of 120 kids the first year. The league has two age divisions: 7-9 and 10-12. The league will draw these kids from about four square miles between Washington and Alberta streets, and Indiana Avenue to the Spokane River.

“The league is for anyone who wants to play,” Shine said.

With the league being free to the participants, Shine understands his dream will take some outside financing to get started. He estimates it will take about $4,700 to purchase inventory equipment such as catcher’s gear, helmets and bases. He is currently working on securing funding through grants, foundation funds and business sponsorships.

“Even though it’s free to the kids I wanted it to be a top-notch league,” Shine said. “I think the kids need to see that.”

Shine developed four levels of sponsorships. These include league sponsors who pay the fees to buy and upgrade inventory; division sponsors who purchase baseballs and help with other costs incurred in each division; team sponsors to purchase the uniforms; and individual sponsors to cover operating costs.

“The biggest investment is the helmets,” Shine said. “You can purchase refurbished ones for $20 a helmet.”

To get the ball rolling, Shine paid $200 from his own funds for initial costs, and applied for state nonprofit status, which was granted in September.

Shine hopes to have all the financial support secured prior to registration scheduled to begin in February. Though hard at work fundraising and planning, he plans to play ball in July whether he gets the money he needs or not.

“We’ll make it work,” Shine said with determination. “We’ll do whatever it takes.”

Shine’s passion for the league comes from being involved in sports most of his life. He smiles as he recalls growing up in the Shadle Park area and playing with all the neighbor kids.

“We were called the Belt Street Bombers,” Shine remembers. “I don’t know who gave us the name. We were just a bunch of kids growing up on Belt, and we were always playing sports together.”

He went on to play football for Gonzaga Prep and Spokane Falls Community College, until he was injured. Later, he coached his three children in sports during their early years.

“I like kids to excel in what they like to do,” Shine said of what he hopes to gain from his new league. “I want to give them an opportunity to do so.”