When staffing shortages forced the North of River Recreation and Park District to cancel its upcoming youth sports season, i9 Sports stepped in to help.
i9 Sports in Bakersfield, California, has partnered with a local parks and recreation department to save the fall sports season after a staffing shortage initially forced cancellation.
i9 Sports is often seen as a competitor for other youth sports organizations — even those that are run by parks and rec departments. But when Bakersfield franchisee Steve Ragsdale learned that kids were about to lose their chance to participate in the volleyball and flag football programs offered by the North of River Recreation and Park District, he was determined to give them the opportunity to continue to play. His i9 Sports franchise partnered with the parks and rec department to manage their programs for the fall.
“We have worked very hard and have had multiple meetings that have resulted in this partnership which will allow these seasons to continue after being previously canceled,” he said. “We look forward to working alongside NOR and helping run these programs for the community and the kids.”
“Having an organization like i9, who is normally a competitor of ours, step up to the plate and say ‘how can we help you give these students a season’, says a lot about their integrity and commitment to the community,” says Monya Jameson, NOR General Manager.
Read more and watch a news segment about the partnership at ABC News (KERO-TV) Bakersfield.
