Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor:
The Newcastle Sports Complex, a baseball and softball facility donated to the City of Newcastle in 2020 by longtime community leader Harry Lemme, continues to deteriorate as local volunteers await city approval to make critical repairs.
In 2023, the City announced a “Newcastle Sports Complex Master Plan” promising a state-of-the-art facility. That plan was not implemented after grant funding fell through, and families have since raised concerns about unsafe bathrooms, an inoperable concession stand, and fields that are not consistently playable.
During a City Council discussion about the Master Plan, concerns about efficiency and leadership were publicly raised. In a June 8, 2023 article published by the Newcastle Pacer, Council member Tommy Clay addressed the condition of the City’s baseball and softball programs.
“Right now our baseball and softball leagues here are abysmal,” Clay said during the discussion. “I think that NASA (Newcastle All Sports Association) has unfortunately proved inefficient to do what they need to do, and what they promised to do. The people who made those promises are no longer around.”
Clay suggested the City consider a different operational approach. “I think we need to start looking for a full-time person,” he said. “If it is done right, it will pay that salary.”
Clay also cited a lack of continuity as a long-standing challenge. “If you have a good league coordinator who does everything and maintains the fields — done right it can produce,” Clay said. “The league has never been able to have consistent leadership.”
That conversation has resurfaced as community members attempt to step in and address the complex’s current condition.
Volunteers have already begun restoring the facility without taxpayer funding. NYSA was formed in September 2025 after my softball team began practicing at the complex and observed the state of the facilities.
This complex was donated to serve kids and families. The community is ready and willing to fix it.
Volunteers have removed more than 30 bags of trash, mowed and dragged fields, repaired fencing, and secured donated lumber for bleacher repairs. They have also obtained funding to begin bathroom renovations, including ADA-compliant upgrades, and secured support from local businesses and foundations.
However, progress has stalled due to administrative delays. I submitted a formal proposal to the City on October 2. Meetings were scheduled for October 3 and October 7, but both were canceled, and no follow-up meeting has been scheduled.
There is a disconnect between public criticism of youth sports associations and the authority those groups are given to address facility conditions.
Associations are being held responsible for outcomes, but they don’t have the authority to make basic repairs. This isn’t about blame — it’s about structure. Responsibility without authority leads to failure.
This is the second youth organization to encounter similar challenges since the complex was donated to the City. This suggests the issue is systemic rather than organizational.
Meanwhile, the City has continued to invest in the surrounding area. In 2023, Newcastle was awarded a $1.3 million grant to purchase 24 acres adjacent to the complex from property owner William R. Owen. The immediate goal was to provide additional parking and move traffic away from State Highway 130.
City plans include additional parking, bathrooms, a sewer system, and expanded baseball, softball, and soccer fields. The city recently approved new portable bleachers. City Parks and Recreation Director Kyle Marks and his team are working on putting them in.
Those plans make addressing existing conditions even more important. It doesn’t make sense to expand when the current facilities aren’t safe or usable. We’re not asking for funding — just a decision and a path forward.
NYSA has presented the City with three options: a public-private lease partnership, a management and operations agreement, or a longterm transfer or purchase arrangement.
Each option would allow the nonprofit to restore and operate the complex using volunteer labor, community donations, vending revenue, and tournament hosting.
I hope public attention will help move the conversation forward. The community has already stepped up. Now we’re just waiting for clarity.
