Blountville Little League at risk without new volunteers

BLOUNTVILLE — Sullivan County Mayor Richard Venable is urging community members to volunteer with Blountville Little League after the organization warned it could lose its charter without new leadership by mid-November.In an Facebook post Wednesday, League President David Ewing Jr. said the program is in "dire" need of board members and coaches by Nov. 16, or the league risks being split among neighboring leagues.Ewing also said the organization has received no recent communication from Sullivan County about the new athletic fields being built at The Blountville Campus, which the league hopes to use beginning with the 2026 season.He said the last official update came in February when the county signed construction contracts with a 245-day completion period."We will provide an update as soon as we receive one from the county," Ewing wrote.He added that in addition to field access, the league needs a safe and functional concession stand, bathrooms and maintenance plan before the league can play again.Mayor Venable said the county is committed to working with the league in a news release Thursday, and that that the two new baseball fields at The Blountville Campus should be completed by Christmas, allowing play to begin in spring 2026."Based on communications last week with Mr. Ewing, county staff believed Blountville Little League was ready and able to begin playing on the new fields at The Blountville Campus this coming spring," Venable said in the release. "We hope that still is the case and encourage others in the community to consider volunteering for the league's board and/or to be coaches."In addition to two new baseball fields, the county has also upgraded a softball field on the same property and has made other improvements since the 2023 repurposing of the Bernie Webb Park fields for a regional recycling center, according to the release. In a letter sent to Ewing dated Oct. 30, Venable praised Ewing's volunteer work but said the county was surprised by claims of limited communication, adding that staff had recently discussed field progress with him."We remain committed to supporting community organizations like Blountville Little League and look forward to continuing our conversations," Venable wrote.Ewing said that without a full board of directors and coaching staff by Nov. 16, when District 5 officials are set to discuss and vote on Blountville Little League's future, "the league risks being split into our neighboring leagues."He added that the organization also needs assurances of field availability before that date to continue operating.Volunteer rolesThe league is seeking volunteers for its Board of Directors, which manages league operations. Positions include president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, player agent and safety officer.Board members are elected by the league's adult members during the annual meeting. Each serves a one-year term, with no permanent or legacy positions.Anyone interested in volunteering or seeking more information can contact president@blountvillell.org.