Dear Editor,
As I close this chapter, I want to share my heartfelt gratitude with this incredible community. It has been one of the greatest privileges of my life to watch your children learn, grow, compete, overcome challenges, and discover confidence through sports. From the first nervous T-ball swings to the game-winning plays, every moment has been a gift to witness.
Being part of these memories and milestones is something I will cherish forever, and this has truly been my favorite job. From the beginning, I committed to running these programs with fairness, integrity, and transparency. I wasn’t willing to play favorites or allow politics to guide decisions, especially knowing how easily those patterns can affect youth and high school sports. My goal was always to view each child through the same lens and to create opportunities that were as consistent and equitable as possible.
As the demands of the role grew and the support needed to uphold that vision wasn’t there, it became clear that the new board and I were headed in different directions.
Rather than compromise my values or my health, I’ve chosen to move forward and invest my energy in opportunities where integrity, sustainability, and healthy collaboration are truly supported. During my time as director, I was proud to see our participation and performance grow. Our 7th/8th grade spring soccer team, coached by Shannon Oakley—an age group that hadn’t previously had a team—won their regional tournament, and our 3rd/4th grade soccer team, coached by Bonnie Robins, placed second in their division.
We had three baseball teams qualify for state this year (Pony and both Mustang teams). Our two 3rd/4th grade baseball teams, coached by Paul Meacham and Dexter Lewis, finished first and second at their regional tournament, with Dexter’s team undefeated all season. I’m so proud of all of our teams. So many parents jumped in to help across every sport.
In my experience, numbers were moving in a positive direction, and I’m deeply grateful to everyone—players, parents, coaches, officials, and volunteers—who helped make that possible. My parting advice is simple: Don’t stop fighting for these kids.
Rec sports aren’t about building a feeder system for the high school or chasing wins at all costs; those come with time and building those relationships. Rec Programs exist to give every child the chance to learn, grow, and fall in love with the sports they play.
They teach kids how to be part of something bigger than themselves—how to be teammates, how to handle both victory and disappointment, and how to feel that they truly belong. These programs were created for all children, regardless of background, ability, or last name. They work best when the community insists that decisions are made with kids’ well-being at the center.
I encourage you to keep standing up for these kids, to ask thoughtful questions, and to hold the people you elected into these roles accountable to the original mission of recreation: doing what is genuinely best for every child, not just a select few. To every athlete, thank you for letting me be a small part of your journey. Each of you made my rec
director heart so proud. You put in the hard work, you showed up, and you showed not only our community but surrounding communities what it means to be part of Our Wolfpack.
To every parent who trusted me with your children and supported our programs, thank you for your encouragement and belief in what we were building together.
To our coaches, officials, and volunteers who gave their time, energy, and expertise, thank you for showing up for these kids, teaching them, and helping create the memories they’ll carry with them. Thank you for being partners in this work and for investing in these kids alongside me. Although my role is changing, my love for this community is not. I’ll keep cheering for our kids from the sidelines, celebrating their successes, and supporting them however I can.
Thank you for allowing me to serve this community. I’m grateful for the memories, friendships, and experiences we’ve shared, and I’m excited for what comes next—for all of us.
With a full heart
Reanna Batt
