Langley RCMP is investigating an act of vandalism that risks putting a major damper on the start of the community’s girls fastball season.
“I’m just really disappointed in the perpetrators of this,” Langley Fastball president Jeff Clegg told Global News.
Clegg said at some point on Friday night, someone cut through the locks on two gates to gain access to the baseball fields at Noel Booth Community Park.
They then drove a 4×4 vehicle down onto the fields, doing donuts and causing extensive damage to the grass.
“They were quite determined to come in, they got through two separate gates and then came down onto the field just to joyride around and cause a bunch of damage,” he said.
“I really think they don’t understand the impacts this has to the community. You’re talking girls fast pitch, 10-, 12-, 14-year-old girls. They just want to come out and play softball, and now they can’t.”
The league is just entering the second week of its season, and had planned a major opening day celebration for Saturday.
He said thanks to the tireless work of a field scheduler and executive they think they can still pull the event off by juggling diamonds in the park.
“We’ve probably got 30 teams in the park, 400, 500 people, and their parents and their families,” he said.
“It’s a real impact to us and we’re going to have to do a lot of scheduling to try and have that celebration go forward.”
Parents and the Township of Langley have rallied to support the players, he said, and are focused on finding a way forward so there is minimal impact for the kids.
The league and the municipality are urging anyone with information to report it to the Langley RCMP.
As for the vandals, Clegg had one simple message.
“Hey guys, take a look in the mirror. Look at what you have done. You’ve done a bunch of damage to a community, you’ve really hurt the experience of kids,” he said.
“For absolutely no gain.”