A cautionary tale about softball facilities from Tulsa, Oklahoma

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Oct 7, 2021
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In 2000, the Tulsa Parks Department along with the Tulsa Girls Softball Federation and the Helmerich Foundation opened Savage Park, a 13 field (9 lit) facility designed for girls fastpitch. All fields have dirt infields, fences are at 200 ft. A bronze plaque says "Welcome to Savage Park Home of Tulsa Girls Softball Federation". Over the last two decades, the park has seen numerous national USA and USSSA tournaments. Many summer weekends all thirteen fields were going. Perhaps some of you reading this came from out of state to play here.

On November 15, just one day after the last tournament of the year, Tulsa Parks informed Tulsa Girls Softball Federation that Tulsa Parks "could best serve the most Tulsa youth by working with Tulsa Little League as the primary organization managing Savage Park". In one quick swoop, a 55 year old girls softball organization ceased to exist. Back to grass infields and run down facilites for girls' fastpitch? Who knows.

So, wherever you are, if you are using a nice, girls fastpitch facility, be sure you know who owns it, and be sure to secure your future.
 
Jan 8, 2019
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You need a strong advocate to come in and try to reverse that! As much as I hate to make things into stereotypical binary arguments, this appears to include at least a large part of gender inequity. Without an advocating group (or at least one super motivated individual), I suspect the case will be closed. But if someone can organize quickly, develop a well-rounded set of arguments with the gender topic being the capstone, there may be a chance.

Get the universities involved!

TAKE BACK YOUR PARK!
 

Strike2

Allergic to BS
Nov 14, 2014
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This isn't about gender, it's about economics.

It's my impression that this city-owned facility was mismanaged and underutilized. For example, last June, the 18U & 14U USSSA State Championship tournament (56 teams) scheduled for this facility was cancelled. It wasn't the weather...the stated reason was a lack of umpires. It would have been their largest tournament of the year. Every other tournament around the state that weekend still happened, including one thrown together at the last minute at a nearby location offering displaced teams a place to play.

This is a nice facility, but other locations, including some not as nice, did a better job with game-day execution. It's been a long, slow decline, but enough teams started to notice. In recent years, tournaments in the OKC area became very well attended while Savage Park rarely operated anywhere near capacity. Their "nationals" tournament in July drew just 33 teams. This Fall, they offered only one tournament that drew 14 teams. Park management is being changed, and it's my understanding that softball will still be played there and that TGSF will have a role, but current details are thin. Regardless, there are lots of other good softball venues in the Tulsa area and across the state...plenty of places to play.

This is a cautionary tale for park operators to not take their customers for granted. There are lots of choices.
 
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Jan 8, 2019
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I had a feeling there was more to the story, but seriously, it’s a very slippery slope. LL is a big organization, with lots of rabidly expansionist thinkers (and I appreciate LL, as well). It is so much harder to build and maintain an org from the wrong side of the fence. Harder to retake ground you gave up.

Maybe the play is to publicly shame the management into doing a better job of supporting women’s sports. If their intent is to do better managing with LL, why don’t they start trying harder with FP? Cite stats from WCWS viewership to support the fact that they need to do better.

Sorry, I know this is a local issue where there are many unknowns to the outsiders, but it drives me nuts not seeing FP supported, and the fix is handing it over to the boys.
 
Oct 10, 2018
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How does this relate to Title IX?
If they are taking from girls sports to give to boys sports and not giving the girls suitable, equal, fields it's a violation of Title IX. However, if the fields are under-used by the softball program probably not a violation.
 
May 2, 2018
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Central Virginia
If they are taking from girls sports to give to boys sports and not giving the girls suitable, equal, fields it's a violation of Title IX. However, if the fields are under-used by the softball program probably not a violation.
Yeah, I don't believe that is how that works. I am pretty sure it has to be a school or educational program that is federally funded or assisted.

Also, it's not hard to believe that a local rec league didn't run things as they should have. Fastpitch is part of Little League so they aren't just handing it over to the boys. I am pretty sure the Parks Department wants to maximize a return on their investment into this park and if the other organization wasn't doing it, then they are going to give LL a chance.
 
Jun 8, 2016
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In recent years, tournaments in the OKC area became very well attended while Savage Park rarely operated anywhere near capacity.
DD has only played there once in 4+ years of TB. There never seemed to be tournaments there which offered any advantages over
the ones held closer to the OKC metro area where her teams have been based out of.
 

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