By Will Woodbery, Staff Writer

As president of Signal Mountain Dixie Youth Baseball, Rob Hensley is witnessing the gradual deterioration of his league.

In 2000, there were 480 players. That number is now down to 300.

That kind of decline is becoming increasingly common as Dixie Youth leagues across the state feel the pinch of encroaching select baseball teams and the availability of various organized sports.

In response, officials of the 50-year-old youth baseball association have attempted to adapt to an evolving sports culture.

“You've got to change with time,” said Herman Nicholson, the Dixie Youth state director for Tennessee. “It's just like business. If you don't make some moves, you're going to go under.”

In 2006, Dixie Youth instituted O-Zone leagues designed for 11-12 year olds. In these leagues, the basepaths are extended from 60 to 70 feet and the pitcher's mound is moved from 46 to 50 feet. Players can lead off as well.

Dixie Youth officials hope those changes will aid in retaining players who potentially would flock to a competitive or travel team.

“We're conforming more to what the players and parents want,” Nicholson said.

Some within Dixie Youth recognized that the exodus of players to select leagues was inevitable — no matter what changes were made. About three years ago, that awareness spawned a dual participation rule that allows players in the 13-14 age group to participate in other amateur baseball programs in addition to Dixie Youth up until their first Dixie Youth tournament game. Nicholson said this rule is subject to local approval.

At Signal Mountain this year, the Dixie Youth leagues were played only during the weekdays, leaving the weekends open for players on select teams.

Several local league presidents also linked Dixie Youth’s dwindling participation to the rise of summer soccer programs, which often conflict with Dixie Youth baseball leagues.

But just as the amount of organized sports available to youngsters has increased since Dixie Youth's inception, more kids are specializing in only one sport, a disturbing trend to Lee Dyer, president of the Lookout Mountain Dixie Youth Baseball league.

“In my opinion, I just think parents tend to want their kids to specialize in those sports at too early an age,” Dyer said. “Some kids get burned out. Other kids get injured.”

Ultimately that specialization, Dyer said, hurts Dixie Youth, as well as all of youth sports.

But some say finding a balance is not possible. Mac Helms, president of the East Ridge Soccer Association, noted that competitive soccer teams often require year-round commitments, ruling out the possibility of playing other sports.

“Once they get to that level, some families choose one or another,” he said. “You might not have the resources or the time to do another sport.”

At Lookout Mountain, one problem for Dixie Youth retention has been competing with similar youth recreational leagues, such as Dizzy Dean, Dyer said.

For Hensley, perhaps his biggest difficulty is battling a growing disinterest in the game among older players. By the time kids no longer qualify for the 11-12 age group, participation drastically falls off.

This year, there weren't enough players to form a league in the 13-14 age group.

“We do have a little problem with numbers,” Nicholson said. “It's just an ongoing problem.”

E-mail Will Woodbery at sports@timesfreepress.com

Side Orders