NEP Complex Development (2002)

The NEP Program was originally known in the early years as Larsen Center and was located behind Hillcrest Baptist Church on Guidy Lane. The facility there consisted of two tee ball fields, one field for coach pitch baseball and softball, one field for 9-10 year old baseball, one field for 11-12 year old baseball, and one field for 13-16 year old baseball. It's hard to imagine that the NEP program could have operated on six fields, but with a schedule that included a full slate of games on Saturdays, everything worked out fine. Making up rained out games sometimes included double-headers, oftentimes triple-headers for tee ball teams.

Affiliations back then were with Tee Ball Baseball, Inc., Dixie Youth Baseball and Softball, and Pony League.

When the NEP program outgrew the Guidy Lane facility, the NEP Board began plans to lease property on Nine Mile Road that had been used for baseball and softball practice fields. The location was once a helicopter training field owned by the U. S. Government. The U. S. Government released stewardship of the area to the State of Florida and the Escambia Board of County Commissioners, provided it was used for recreational purposes.

The NEP Board stepped in and signed a lease with Escambia County and began construction on a baseball and softball complex entirely on its own initiative and resources. Thanks to the labor and contributions of parents, Board Members, and friends of the program, the relocation came off without a hitch and the program completed the move to its new 9-field facility without delay.

Once the work was completely paid for, the Board began plans for expansion to accommodate its increasingly popular program. The Board drew up plans for the addition of three more fields and was ready to begin construction when new Escambia County Park and Recreation Director Mark Thornton and Operations Manager Trey Goodman approached the Board to ask for its support for a pending referendum on a 1% option sales tax, part of which would be directed to support local recreation programs.

The NEP Board was initially skeptical because it had grown accustomed to seeing tax dollars spent elsewhere and it was also reluctant to risk seeing its work squandered on partially fulfilled promises. After a series of intense discussions between Mr. Thornton and Mr. Goodman and the NEP Board, the Board agreed to support the pending referendum.

Consequently, constituents in the voting precincts served by the NEP Complex voted overwhelmingly to support passage of the referendum, constituting the highest level of support of any area in the County. Passage of the referendum provided momentum for the subsequent close working relationship between the NEP Board of Directors and the County Parks and Recreation Department.

Immediately, the three-field expansion effort was assumed by the County, paid for by our tax dollars and since then, a host of improvements to the NEP Complex have been realized. With the addition of those three fields, NEP is now a 12-field complex with three tee ball fields, one coach pitch field, two 9-10 year old baseball fields, two 11-12 year old baseball fields, two 13-14 year old baseball fields (one of which can be quickly converted to a senior league-sized field), and two girls softball fields.

Subsequent facilities support from recreation tax dollars has meant that NEP no longer needed to pay tens of thousands of dollars each year for grass cutting, fertilizing, resodding, fence maintenance, sprinkler repair, and more. This has enabled the Board to earmark an emergency fund, beyond which all money is redirected for "quality of program" improvements. As a result, the NEP Board has been able to hire a concession operator and a field maintenance person to relieve NEP parents of the burden of hours and hours of work before and between games and on weekends. Until this change occurred, parents didn't only work in the concession stand, then operated it. They also were obliged to arrive early for the first game of the night to chalk and rake the playing fields, and they were scheduled for two or more weekends during which they trimmed grass from the fences, pulled weeds, picked up trash, and performed other maintenance. Now, the Park asks only for a couple of preseason workdays and that everyone pick up after themselves when their games are finished.

Additionally, the Park has been able to make purchases that have improved the quality of the program to the extent that it remains the best equipped and operated park in the area. While other programs receive the same assistance that NEP receives, NEP has been able to build up a tangible cash reserve while funding purchases of soft toss nets throughout the park, a first-class batting cage four-plex, two field preparation tractors, a utility vehicle, thousands of dollars of playing equipment each year, and more. At NEP, there's no wondering where the money is spent -- the evidence of reinvestment in the program is everywhere. Meanwhile, the Park still pays its own utility bills, funds all star team trips, pays tens of thousands of dollars each year for umpires, maintains scoreboards and other upkeep items, and more. What's more, the Park is still run entirely by volunteers. Board Members who attend dozens of planning meetings year 'round, keep an eye on the Park on their own time, and pull Park Duty a couple of times during the season (to include duties that also normally fall to them as NEP parents), often while their own children are playing ball, still do this valuable work without compensation.

Gone are the days when parents have to sell (or buy) raffle tickets. Now, one low price for participation in the area's premier baseball and softball program gets it done.

Recent work provided by recreation tax dollars through the Escambia Parks and Recreation Department includes:

- Construction of a multi-purpose building that can be used as a storeroom and meeting room.
- Paved access throughout the park.
- Construction of restrooms and a mini-concession area at the center of the quad at fields 9, 10, 11, and 12 (the big fields).
- New perimeter fencing to restrict vehicular traffic and facilitate flow of foot traffic.
- Covered pavilion.

By the beginning of the 2003 season, Fields 1 through 9, the original fields constructed by the NEP Board, will receive new outfield fencing.

NEP's relationship with the Escambia County Parks and Recreation Department has been very good for the park and for the community. The County Parks and Recreation Department is busy throughout the County on projects in other parks as well. Mr. Thornton's and Mr. Goodman's positive can-do approach will continue to be instrumental in helping the Board continue its work in making NEP a great place for our youth to play ball as well as a fantastic tournament location. These tournaments held at the NEP Complex have already returned hundreds of thousands of dollars of tourism revenue to our community from thousands of visitors who travel here each year from March through August to play baseball and softball at our NEP Complex.

The Board asks that all adults be vigilant throughout the season to ensure the safety of everyone at the park. There will be a lot of construction underway during the season and we all need to watch for hazardous conditions and do our best to eliminate them. Please help us keep the children away from construction areas.

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