Ringgold Youth Sports Association President Earl Epps says his basketball players are only being given limited access to the Catoosa County gym where they play.
The basketball facility in question is located at Rollins Industrial Court, and a Catoosa County employee is in charge of unlocking the gym for RYSA practices and games.
“Last fall they decided to take our access to that gym away,” Epps said. “We have unsupervised use of other facilities besides the basketball facility on Rollins Industrial Court. We had a key until November of last year. The key to the basketball facility is the most pressing piece. It was a direct shot at us because we are the only ones with year-round basketball.”
He said the RYSA program grows 15 to 20 percent a year due to basketball.
Before his key was taken away, Epps said, he opened the gym personally for four years and youth never stood outside.
“They can’t get people they pay to be there on time, or period. Sometimes they can’t find someone to open the gym for the day and that’s unacceptable to me,” said Epps.
At the last County Commission meeting, the meeting room was full to the point of overflowing with angry parents of RYSA players.
“I’ve fought a five-year fight. The parents are now in the battle,” Epps said in a followup interview.
When someone does not show up to unlock the doors, he said, the players can’t practice.
“All these county facilities were built for youth,” said Epps. “We were told other leagues did not have keys, but those leagues have employees of Catoosa County and have access to the gym. When I started we had 70 basketball players and now [we have] 724 annual enrollments.”
Attempts to reach the Catoosa County Recreation Department for this story were unsuccessful.
At the commission meeting, Chairman Keith Greene said he wants the county manager, parks and recreation director and RYSA’s board to work together on reaching a consensus, and the rest of the commission voiced support.