By Brian Argabright
The 830 Times
Every few years, community leaders get the idea to attempt to bring a sports complex to Del Rio and Val Verde County. It usually doesn’t end well.
I’ve been involved in sports in Del Rio since I was a youth. I played basketball and baseball, and when I got older I coached baseball and served on the boards of the Del Rio Youth Football and Cheer League and the Del Rio Little League, which I serve on today.
I don’t have kids or even nephews or nieces that practice or play on our courts and fields, but I’m a firm believer that sports are a beneficial part of a young person’s life. I feel they should never be limited in what they want to play when they’re growing up because you never know what sport they’ll actually fall in love with.
I grew up playing sports in the 1980’s, and wouldn’t you know it, but those fields I played on as a kid exist today, a little different … and not always for the better.
And that’s why a sports complex is a valuable commodity in this community. Not only would it alleviate the glut of teams we have trying to play and practice on the same fields, but it would also allow entities to hold tournaments and bring people to our community. Those people bring money and would spend that money on local eateries, at gas stations and may even stay overnight, putting “heads in beds” and generating that oh so important HOT (Hotel Occupancy Tax) money for many of our local non-profit organizations.
The members of the Val Verde County Commissioners Court may have known that, especially considering so many people in Del Rio whose kids are part of traveling teams now and who no doubt have spoken to these court members in the past, and for that reason and so many more the court decided to build a new sports complex within the city limits, but on county property.
That meant the complex would be housed at the Val Verde County Fairgrounds, home to the county’s 4-H program as well as members of the county’s agricultural population including horse owners and trainers. It’s what you’d expect dusty fairgrounds to be, and here in Del Rio it means so much more to many people. However, it’s also centrally located and the perfect spot for some kind of sports complex. The county drew up plans for a new football/soccer field for high school-aged and above folks, nine youth soccer fields, three Little League baseball fields, one Babe Ruth baseball field, two softball fields, two basketball/volleyball courts and allotted space for an enclosed event facility, an enclosed multipurpose facility and a pavilion.
That’s a whole lot of stuff for an area that is about 74 acres but is already home to a variety of structures like horse stalls, a horse track, a large rodeo arena, a smaller arena as well as barns for 4-H participants to house their animals and an enclosed building that serves as a shooting range/dining hall.
All of that was approved by the four county commissioners and the county judge that make up the court, but then in January, three commissioners chose to move the planned complex to land the county owned between US Highway 90 East and US Highway 277 South. Formerly known as the SE Ranch, a piece of property that has a long and contentious past, that piece of land currently sits untouched. The commissioners – Martin Wardlaw, Juan Carlos Vazquez and Gus Flores – felt that the area would better be served for future growth should more fields or facilities need to be constructed for a “proper” sports complex.
On Monday night, 25 people stood and spoke before the commissioners court. The majority of them were in favor of a sports complex, and the majority of that group wanted the complex at the fairgrounds because the idea of something tangible now was better than the dream of a better tomorrow.
The idea, according to County Judge Lewis Owens, was to build the complex now with county funds and get the ball rolling. If more fields and courts and what not were needed in the future, then the county would build another complex elsewhere.
Two complexes?! Where do I sign?
But that’s not going to happen now. Instead, when Owens asked for a motion to postpone a vote Monday night to officially move the complex to the SE Ranch property to allow for more time to research the project, no motion was made. The public demanded a vote and a vote was taken … and by a count of 3-2 the complex was to be built on the SE Ranch land property. When and for how much was unknown, but the three commissioners got their way and the majority of folks, sans the people who wanted the fairgrounds to stay the way it was because their horses were kept there or trained there, went home angry.
So where does that leave the youth of Del Rio? Well, they’ll keep practicing where they can and play on fields that are patched up and made serviceable as much as possible. The same leagues will continue to pay a fee for the use of fields and lights to the tune of several thousands of dollars and life will go on because that’s how it’s been here in Del Rio and Val Verde County for more than half a century.
And what about the SE Ranch property? Well, more fields and more facilities means more money and may mean another bond issue to be put forth to voters. And since the youth that play can’t vote, it’s up to a voter base that soundly voted down the last bond issue earmarked for a sports complex or didn’t even bother to vote at all.
Then there’s the issue with Laughlin Air Force Base. The base is a vital part of Del Rio’s economic community and any encroachment upon that base is seen as a huge problem by the citizenry. It’s part of the reason why the SE Ranch failed initially and fears that Laughlin could be impacted are already spreading among the populace before the first slab of concrete is even poured. Folks have been asking why Laughlin hasn’t commented on the proposed sports complex yet and the answer is complicated. Typically the base leadership doesn’t comment on those issues because they don’t want people to think the base is dictating how to run the city or county. Basically, it’s not a problem to them until it’s a problem to them.
And what about the city’s Field of Our Dreams, you may ask. Where to begin? There are no lights there, limiting when games could be played. There have also been concerns regarding flooding, its affect on the surrounding neighborhood and complaints regarding the already built fields there including uneven spots and ill-placed sprinkler heads are beginning to surface. Could these issues be resolved? Maybe, but only in due time.
I do want to thank all the businesses and private individuals who have stepped up to support our leagues and our youth. That means a lot to a lot of people and shows they believe in what these leagues are doing for the community’s youth.
The sports community in Val Verde County made its voices heard Monday night. Here’s hoping that message doesn’t get lost in someone else’s vision.
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The views and opinions of the author do not represent those of The 830 Times.
Brian Argabright is the editor of The 830 Times. With more than 25 years of experience in journalism, he has won awards for his writing, design and photography. Contact him at drnhsports@gmail.com
