Fighting for Kids

It was standing room only at city council chambers as dozens of Gulf Coast Little League players and parents showed up in force Monday, February 3, fighting to save Tyler Beck Memorial Field, the baseball field on the campus of Tommie Barfield Elementary. It’s the second time since 2022 that a group has fought to save the field for the island’s youth. 

Though Beck’s name didn’t come up during the meeting, a plaque at the Tommie Barfield Elementary baseball field dated April 1995 reads Tyler Beck Memorial Ballpark, “Field of Dreams.” Beck was killed while riding his bicycle on San Marco Road on January 6, 1995, just six days shy of his twelfth birthday. It's a tragedy that rocked the island to its core. 

In 2022, Marco Island Academy fought to save the field that has often been neglected. But despite winning the conference baseball championship and posting its first winning season last spring, MIA stepped away from the park. MIA will not field a baseball team this season. 

During the September 23, 2024, council meeting, the interlocal agreements between Collier County Public Schools and the City of Marco Island and between Marco Island Academy and the City of Marco Island regarding the Tommie Barfield Elementary School baseball field were dissolved under the consent agreement. The vote was unanimous. 

City manager Mike McNees referenced the movie Groundhog Day, where Bill Murray was trapped in a time loop and was forced to relive February 2, Groundhog Day, repeatedly. 

“It's curious that yesterday was Groundhog Day,” McNees said, "because three years ago we were here. I almost feel like it's Groundhog Day because we had a similar conversation and (city council) sent me off to negotiate with the Collier County Public School staff to come up with a way to preserve baseball. In that case, it was for Marco Island Academy. And I've got to tell you, it was no small feat to get the district to come to terms on things that the Academy would agree to.” 

Now, with MIA out of the picture, the Gulf Coast Little League has taken up the torch. Little Leaguers, dressed in baseball caps and jerseys, comprised much of the gallery as moms, dads, coaches - even a former city employee - were stepping forward to deliver their best pitch to council to save the field for current and future generations of Marco Islanders. Their message was simple: please don't take away our field of dreams.  

Tom Polston, commissioner of the island’s large senior softball group, was pointed in his remarks to council. 

"I'm here today to stick up for the Little Leaguers,” Polston said. "Closing the Tommie Barfield Elementary School baseball diamond is one of the worst things that could happen here. We're already pressed for (field) time over at Winterberry Park. We play during the daytime. We're there practicing. There's Little League. There's soccer players. There's cricket players over there now, and it's the only ball field on the island besides Tommie Barfield. And for the city to let the lease go and give it back to the county to make it into a green space, it's not a good idea. I think there's going to be a vote Wednesday at the county school board and it can't be let it go to a green space. 

“Look at the kids here,” Polston told council. “It's heartbreaking that there's going to be no field. There's nowhere else to build a field on the island. It’s already there. All it needs is to be maintained and they should let that happen. These kids need a lot more (field) time, and we can't build another field on the island. So you need to reconsider and try and get the county to keep it a baseball diamond.” 

Mike McGuire told council that he just wants the island to keep what it already has. 

"I'm a Marco Island resident, a husband, a father, also a baseball, soccer, football, and basketball coach, you name it,” McGuire said. "Many of my players are here today. They're very easy to spot in uniform. I strongly believe the removal of a baseball field will negatively impact our children. We currently have eight youth baseball and softball teams close to 100 kids playing baseball and softball on the island. We have four teams utilizing Winterberry’s two softball fields at the same time. When you factor in the number of adult softball players and soccer players that often share the field, it's not enough space to service our community. I'm frustrated, disappointed and quite frankly, saddened by the handling of this baseball field. We don't want a baseball field, we need a baseball field. Quite frankly, we aren't even asking for anything new. We're simply asking for a baseball field to remain a field that has been part of this community for over 40 years. And I know there are individuals here today that grew up playing on that baseball field. And the fact the city didn't fight to keep the field open after the termination of the MIA lease shows we don't have a grasp on the younger population on this island. If we eliminate the baseball field, we all know we will never get another one. We need to change course and do everything we can to keep this field safe. I hope we can make the right decision and fight for this field, for our community, and for our children.” 

Amy McGowan is vice president of Gulf Coast Little League. She’s calling for immediate action. 

"We understand the costs associated with this request,” McGowan said, "and there seem to be donors to back the initial refurbishment. The city may still have to maintain some of the field in the years to come, but school-aged families do make up a significant portion of your demographic, and we hope you understand the need and will take action immediately." 

Local business owner Joey Oliverio feels the September decision needs to be reversed.  

“I thought that was disgraceful that they voted to let it go,” Oliverio said. "It's not a lot of money. We're talking a couple hundred thousand dollars, I think is the number. We have a $25 million business here. We have plenty of money in reserves. We have an infrastructure tax that we benefit from. I think infrastructure for our kids and our grandchildren, that's where the money should go. I would ask that tonight, this council immediately petition the Collier County School Board to remove the item off the agenda, so we can start negotiating with them and figure out how you guys can fix what happened in September. What happened in September should never have happened. It slipped through the cracks. Nobody understood it. None of these kids understood it, nor did their parents. And I think that's not a good way to operate. We are becoming a younger community. I see the children. I get to go visit my grandkids in school. I get to see all the parents. My son's a coach. So, I would really appreciate that you guys step up tonight, get something together, and instruct the city manager to get a letter off to the county school board asking them to remove the agenda item on Wednesday. And if you have to put a committee together, I'll be glad to serve on it. We'll get people to serve on it. Work with the councilors, work with city staff, and let's get to the Collier County School Board to get this result. You can't lose the field for the kids.” 

Kelly Dechaine, a Gulf Coast Little League board member and a Marco Island resident, echoes Oliverio’s sentiments.  

"I’ve been a Marco Island resident for almost 14 years and I have four kids here on the island,” Dechaine said. "I think everyone can agree we want to do what's best for the kids here. I don't think anyone realized or knew what was happening when we ended the interlocal agreement. I understand that several of you were not on the board, so there was an agreement signed for a ten-year lease in 2022. In September of 2024, Marco Island Academy said they weren't going to use the field anymore, so the city ended the agreement without contacting anybody. As a member of the Gulf Coast Little League board, we've gone to the previous president, the current president. We've searched emails. Nobody knew this was happening. So, our kids are now on Winterberry Field with several other organizations, whether it be soccer, baseball, or other softball leagues. We are out of room. We can find the funds if that's what it takes. We've had people step up and say that they would be willing to donate. Marco Island is out of space. This is the only baseball field. The Winterberry fields are softball fields. They are not baseball fields. We're losing kids off of our island because we can't figure out a way to have an agreement with Collier County Public Schools. Most of us that are able to are going to the CCPS meeting on Wednesday to plead with the school board as well. Please work with them to do whatever it takes for the sake of our kids."  

Jennie McLaughlin is president of Gulf Coast Little League. She wants to see the field not only saved but maintained. 

"As of right now,” McLaughlin said, "on Tuesday night alone, I have five teams practicing on four fields. This is not ideal, but this is what it has come to because there is no other place to play or practice than this field. And our concerns are not just about the upcoming season, the next season or the season after. This is for all of our kids, all the kids who are moving here and those kids in the future. Over the years, the field has been passed back and forth, maintained, not maintained for years. There has been zero accountability from anyone for the condition of this field. CCPS says the City of Marco Island was supposed to maintain it. City of Marco Island says the property is owned by CCPS. 

"What I do know is that everyone in this room pays taxes, and at the end of the day, we are the ones who are paying for the field, whether it's maintaining the baseball field or whether it's turned into green space. Our concerns need to be addressed with the utmost thought as to what is best for the people of this community. The green space that is used a few hours a week by Tommie Barfield for field day or physical education should not trump what is best for the community. There have been offers from people in the community to repair the field and they were rejected. We are at a point where we need to come together and find a solution that benefits everyone. Looking back on my own childhood, some of my best memories were made either on the field or on a court. Allowing this field to turn into green space, all those memories of playing baseball on this field will be erased. Please help us give our children the opportunity to make memories on the field." 

Alex Galiana was the final speaker. He delivered an impassioned historical perspective. After all, he was once responsible for the field as an employee of the City of Marco Island. He said this is not the first time it has fallen into disrepair. 

"For seven years, I was the facilities andadministrative manager for the park from 2010 to 2017,” Galiana said. "I come to you tonight to share some historical facts on Tommie Barfield. I think historically you should be aware of what these things are because many of you are new to the island relatively. In 2001 Tommie Barfield had gone into such despair because the city had stopped maintaining it. Incoming Parks and Recreation director Dana Souza, along with the city planner at the time, Brian Milk, the city agreed that we were going to start to maintain the field again. They dumped quite a bit of money into the field. We took over and we redid the clay, we redid sprinklers, we put in a new fence, and we made Tommie Barfield a playable field again in 2002-2003. I was able to establish the Marco Island Charter Middle School program. That program lasted for ten years, and quite a few young men in here played for me as 12, 13, and 14-year-olds. I was also able to go to Gulf Coast Little League at the time and convince them to let us bring teams back to Marco Island because Gulf Coast Little League had pulled their teams from Marco because there was no place to play on the island. 

"At that time, Winterberry was not much of a field itself. During the period when I was a facilities manager, the city's parks and recreation budget allowed for us to maintain the field. I believe in 2012 we completely re-sodded the field, which was a pretty sizable expenditure. There has always been a relationship between the city and CCPS. CCPS has always loved the fact that we would take care of the field for them. We had a completely great lease agreement with them. CCPS would use the field during the course of the school day, and after school hours the city would schedule the field. I also happen to be the scheduler for many, many years. I come to you here to plead for all these children, but I come to here to give you some true facts. It does not cost that much to maintain that field once you bring it back. The investment will be bringing it back. You will have to restart the field. You will most likely have to repair the sprinklers. Lights, that's a whole other game. But you can bring back the field. We have the equipment in the city to do that. To properly maintain the field, you would need to add maybe one individual to mow the field. The field needs to get mowed twice a week. Nothing more, nothing less. You already have somebody who comes out and does all of your fertilization and weed control for Winterberry Field. He knows intimately the field at Tommie Barfield. So, I implore you to reconsider this. The Tommie Barfield field has been part of this community for over 45 years.” 

Galiana feels the city needs to bring back a recreation director who will advocate for the parks. 

"You need a Parks and Recreation director,” Galiana said. "You need someone who is a champion for the Parks and Recreation. Dan Smith does a great job. But guess what? He's got way too much on his plate. The reason that this lease fell through the cracks is because you have no one who cares about the parks. You just spent an enormous amount of money at Veterans' Park. You're talking about investing all kinds of money in the rec center, and you can't keep a field that has been part of this community way before all of that.” 

Acting chairman Erik Brechnitz suggested delaying comments from city council to later in the meeting, but councilor Darrin Palumbo objected. 

"These young guys might not even be awake,” Palumbo said. “They need to know the strategy for Wednesday. I think we should give everybody 30 seconds or a minute to address it so they know what's going to happen. I want to be at the (CCPS board meeting) on Wednesday.” 

“That's pretty unprecedented,” Brechnitz fired back but relented. 

"I do not want to look these children in the eye and tell them they can't play ball,” said councilor Stephen Gray. "I happen to believe that it's important for the parents, it's important for the children. I don't know what our options are at this point, but I'd like to exhaust them to try and honor these kids a chance to play ball.” 

Brechnitz acknowledged his fellow council members’ pledge to support action on behalf of the field but warned that the CCPS may not be open to their efforts. He asserted that the issue is not financial. 

“You're going to have to change the hearts and minds of some people that are going to be difficult to change,” Brechnitz said. “The council seems united in their willingness to do whatever's necessary to get to that final mile. I don't think it's an issue of money. I think we can find money.” 

McNees said he will go back to the school board but asserts that he needs resources. 

"All I'm trying to say is I will be more than happy to go back to the school board and try to hammer out some sort of a new deal,” McNees said. “Frankly, we're pretty good at it. But we need tools. Your marching orders to me for fiscal 2025 are that current-year expenses will not exceed current-year revenues. And we're breaking even. We have these enormous, very valid demands. We've got to put some tools in the toolbox. We'll have that conversation, I'm sure. I'm happy to talk to the school board some more. See if there is a way to crack this thing open again for a new negotiation. But all I'm going to say is if we're going to go to the table and try to craft a new deal, I need resources, I need tools, I need something to give. Because, as the chairman wisely pointed out, it's tougher than it looks.” 

Brechnitz offered McNees a possible solution. 

“I know it’s difficult, Mike,” Brechnitz said. “But we have in the budget right now $200,000 for a trolley that's not going to run. That money could be repurposed to redo the ball field, do the sod, fix the sprinkler system and get it ready for normal maintenance.” 

For the most part, the lighting system was adequate for high school baseball last spring. 

"It is true that no lights are needed, that changes the equation,” McNees said.  

"We can dig out,” Brechnitz said to McNees. "I think that the tough part isn't going to be finding the money. The tough part is going to be you being able to get the agreement, and we'll give you all the support that we can." 

Watch Coastal Breeze News.com for the latest developments.