Second home

n Mike Williamson is a longtime volunteer for youth baseball in Siloam Springs.

Jeff Della Rosa/Special to Siloam Proud At left, Mike Williamson, president of Siloam Springs Youth Baseball, watches as a young pitcher throws a ball during All Star tryouts at James Butts Baseball Complex.
Jeff Della Rosa/Special to Siloam Proud At left, Mike Williamson, president of Siloam Springs Youth Baseball, watches as a young pitcher throws a ball during All Star tryouts at James Butts Baseball Complex.

James Butts Baseball Complex is like a second home to Mike Williamson.

He's usually at the baseball complex between 4 and 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, during baseball season.

Williamson is president of Siloam Springs Youth Baseball and also coaches his 11-year-old son's team.

He became involved in the organization 11 years ago when his oldest son was 5 and the coach quit his son's team. Williamson was one of the parents who stepped up to become a coach.

In 2010, he was elected president and has been re-elected to the volunteer position every year since then.

"It's a big time commitment," he said.

From January to mid July, he spends his time volunteering for youth baseball.

The baseball organization has 450 children, 30 teams and 60 volunteer coaches. Youth, from ages 4 to 19, play in five leagues at the baseball complex.

Four commissioners manage each league and handle questions or complaints regarding rules. If commissioners need guidance, Williamson can resolve an issue.

Over the years, the number of children in the organization has grown and leveled out to about 450 youth. He'd like to see 500-600 children play, but the fields are at capacity.

"It's maxed out right now," Williamson said.

The best part of the game is watching the children grow from the start of a season, he said. Some children, who've not played the game previously, make the all-star team by the end of the season.

Each age group, between ages 6 to 15, can try out for the all-star team.

The goal is for teams to win the state tournament and get a sign on the fence along the entrance to the baseball complex. Last year, the 12-year-old team won state and participated in the World Series in Monticello.

This summer, the organization will host tee ball, 9-year-old and 16- to 18-year-old state tournaments.

In February, Williamson applied to host a regional tournament in 2019 and was granted the opportunity.

"We got it over Houston, Texas," he said. "In 2019, we will have 10 teams from Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arkansas."

The winning team will go to the World Series in Aberdeen, Md.

The organization previously hosted regional tournaments in 2009, 2011 and 2015.

During tournaments, 30 volunteers are needed.

Williamson said that the most difficult part of being president is finding enough volunteers. He's often recruiting volunteers to help rake fields, take money at the gate, keep score, or run the concession stand.

This year, the organization started hiring teenagers to run the concession stand.

A large portion of the budget comes from sales at the concession stand. It brings in $30,000 in 30 days or about $1,000 a night.

About 50 percent of the revenue is used to restock it. The remainder pays for umpires and improvements to the fields and to purchase clothes and equipment.

As president, Williamson leads board meetings, during which its 18 members vote on rule changes or capital purchases. The organization operates on a $100,000 budget.

Over the past five years, three scoreboards have been installed at James Butts Baseball Complex.

Each scoreboard costs $25,000, and donors have helped pay the cost. The following companies have donated $5,000 for scoreboards: Simmons Foods, Palmer Heating and Cooling and Pipelife.

Other improvements at the baseball complex include the awnings that were installed over the bleachers and an interior renovation of the concession stand.

Last year, with a $1,200 anonymous grant from the city, the bathrooms in the concession stand were renovated.

This year, scorekeepers' boxes are being built by a builder who had offered to build them if the materials were provided.

Also, the organization has saved between $5,000 and $6,000 annually because Williamson mows the fields instead of hiring a lawn service.

Each December, Williamson starts preparing for the next baseball season.

He distributes 5,000 flyers to children in area schools to let them know about baseball registration, which runs from Jan. 1 through February.

Tryouts for 7- to 12-year-olds take place the first Saturday in March. Tee ball leagues don't have tryouts.

Next comes the draft, which was at Harvard Avenue Baptist Church.

From March through April, teams practice between one and 1½ hours.

Games start in April and are played over the next six weeks. Playoffs follow the regular season.

Before games start at 5:30 p.m. each day, Williamson smooths the dirt between bases, paints foul lines in the grass, turns on scoreboards, gets scorebooks and plays the national anthem.

He also purchases new baseballs daily.

Teams go through about 240 baseballs, or about $700 worth, each season, he said. Comparatively, Bentonville's organization uses about 6,000 balls.

Siloam Springs Youth Baseball offers an incentive to make sure lost baseballs are returned. Children who turn in baseballs get a free popsicle.

While he's not volunteering, Williamson works full-time at the distribution center for Walmart Stores Inc.

In April, Williamson opened a taco stand, Ta-co Suave, in downtown. Hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays. He plans to extend the hours after the baseball season ends in July.

Williamson was born in Siloam Springs and raised in West Siloam Springs, Okla. He graduated from Colcord High School.

He and his wife, Renee, have four children, Peyton, 16, Brandon, 14, Logan, 11, and Morgan, 9.

Sports on 06/29/2016