Coaches, young athletes convince Lee County to bring back twilight games

The longest off-season is ending for many Lee County participants in youth sporting events as daylight saving time brings back some outdoor athletic activities that have been suspended because of lighting issues at county parks.

The lights have been out at many county parks since Hurricane Ian damaged light standards and light bulbs, making it difficult to see, especially as daylight hours grew shorter and shorter after the September hurricane. County officials pulled back on the use of county fields after testing showed lighting was too weak to meet safety standards.

Parents took their case to the county commission last week, noting that with daylight savings time, starting at 2 a.m. Sunday, it did not mean that every bulb had to be fixed to resume athletic competition. After an hour of discussion, council commissioners agreed that extra hours of light would allow football and soccer practices as the time changes and crepuscular skies rein earlier in the evening.

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Baseball will continue to be played in the daylight hours. County Manager Roger Desjarlais said the possibility of young people being maimed "by a baseball going 70 miles per hour" is too big a risk to take under darkening evening skies.

More than a dozen players, parents and coaches urged the county to take another look at using ball fields, many citing to the benefits to children that come from using free time to participate in athletics while developing interpersonal skills.

Young athletes, parents have their say

Young people who have been unable to practice or participate on approved fields gave voice to their disappointment over the shuttered fields, as did their parents and guardians.

"I love cheering," said Cameron Green, 10, a member of a youth squad. "Right now we are only practicing on concrete, and we need to jump and tumble for our competition which is our one and only competition this year,"

Tara Humberger, a voluntary cheerleading coach, said being unable to use the fields was more than a simple activity. "My child, not being able to come with her friends to practice every day -- they have to have an outlet."

Jessica Cavalieri, who works with children on the Estero Mustangs youth team told commissioners that the loss of the ability to participate is not insignificant.

"We are just begging for these fields to be open for the kids" Cavalieri said. "Parents are getting very upset, some are saying they want to pull their children from youth sports, but it is all around the county -- so we really just beg everyone to please say, we are going to have a season."

Support from parents to get the fields open again stretched from one end of the county to the other.

"Sports is a big part of the community in Lehigh Acres," said resident Monique Young. "I moved here 8 years ago and my son has been participating since the beginning. Parents are getting very upset, they can't even go to another program because it is all around the county ... we just really beg: Everybody please we just want to have a season."

Advocates not benefits of sports to adolescents

Robert Babcock, a board member with North Fort Myers youth football and the 21-league Peace River Conference, which serves about 10,000 kids, noted that the city of Cape Coral allowed leagues to bring in light towers.

"These kids need this, after Covid, after the hurricane -- they need some normalcy in their lives, they're not getting it," said Babcock who warned of the dangers of adolescents with no alternatives.

"They don't have the outlet to let their energy out," he said "Let's just use some common sense; getting these kids on the field is what they need."

A Lee County teacher, Ashley Simon, also urged the commission to do whatever it takes to jump start a spring season.

"Our boys still need their outlet, and community after everything they have been through," Simon said. "Come see our fields at night, let our children practice and come watch a game, our kids are worth it."

Commissioners agreed to turn what lights are functional back on so that young people can play soccer and football and participate in cheering and other programs until 8:30 p.m.

"I played at a high school that didn't have lights, we only played occasionally," said Commissioner Mike Greenwell, a former professional athlete. "I know it's tough, I have grandchildren who are out there playing ... we'll try because obviously sports mean a lot to children in this county and that should be a big, big priority."

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Daylight Savings Time to rescue of Lee County youth sports practice