The dugouts will remain empty this spring for Wrangell High School, with both the baseball and softball seasons cancelled due to a lack of participation.
“We gave it a good run but we called it quits,” explained school activities director Jack Carney.
Sign-ups for boys baseball and girls softball began last month, and the period had been extended by two weeks in an effort to get more students to join.
“The coaches worked hard to garner interest,” Carney
commented. “It's kind of a bummer.”
The softball team was not able to fill a roster, needing at least nine girls to play. Carney mentioned that out of a possible pool of 39 students, that would mean having a 23 percent participation rate.
“It's a tough one,” he said.
The baseball team encountered similar difficulties this year; the last time the high school fielded a team was in 2009.
“This year we didn't start anything til we had ten kids,” said Scott McAuliffe, the boys’ coach.
The team was able to sign up 12 boys at one point, but then several backed out as the season's start approached.
By the time the Wolves held their fundraiser during Artfest in early April, McAuliffe said the team was down to seven players. They still helped out, serving lunch and dinner for 60 visiting students over the four-day festival.
“The Stikine (Inn) was kind enough to help us,” the coach said. “They did the actual cooking.”
The boys then conducted the catering. The money they raised will go into the team fund for next year. McAuliffe estimates they have close to $5,000 in the account by now.
“It's sad for the five or
six kids who do want to play,”
he said of the abortive
season. Still, he said they will try again next year.
“Baseball's been really tough to get enough kids for,” Carney explained.
By the time the ball season rolls around, a number of
students active in the sports program have already
participated on fall and spring teams. The season also wraps up after summer vacation has started, when students tend to take jobs or travel.
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