Susan Shamoon and Chris Vowell told the Greenville Rotary Club that, after a few turbulent years, the Delta Sportsplex board believes the complex is turning a corner—driven by new accountability measures, facility upgrades and growing community support.
Speaking as two of the longest-serving current board members, Shamoon said the board feels it is “coming out of the trenches” and “getting ready to soar,” while also stressing that the Sportsplex’s success depends on sponsorships and participation from local families and businesses.
“Coming out of the trenches”
Shamoon, who said she was appointed to the board about two years ago, described an organization that has been rebuilding after the complex was closed and later restarted with a new board appointed by county supervisors. She said the board’s focus is to make the Sportsplex “the best that we can make it for this county first”—for parents, grandparents and local families—before expanding further into tournaments and larger events.
She also took time to highlight what she called the importance of recognizing early donors who invested heavily in the complex’s creation, saying it would be “mighty sad” for the community not to have the facility.
Facility upgrades and projects
Among the improvements discussed were better field conditions—an effort Shamoon attributed in part to the work of former director Jeffrey Giachelli, who she said helped get the fields “in shape” before returning to a job in the agricultural industry. Shamoon said the Sportsplex added parking bumpers to improve traffic flow and described ongoing work aimed at easing congestion, along with a new concession stand serving the front four fields.
Rotary members also heard about a proposed walking trail tied to outside funding: Shamoon said Lawrence Hudson secured a $50,000 Blue Cross grant originally aimed at a trail at O'Bannon High School, but plans shifted toward placing the trail at the Sportsplex, with additional funding—about $75,000 more—being pursued. She said there is discussion about potentially relocating a playground closer to the trail so parents can walk while children play, though she emphasized no decision had been finalized.
On restrooms, Shamoon said the board has been exploring a mobile bathroom trailer unit with water and air conditioning.
Operations: staffing, registration, payments
Shamoon said the Sportsplex is in the process of hiring a full-time director and an assistant director, pending bonding and drug testing, with the goal of adding stability and improving property upkeep and cleanup oversight. She also said the Sportsplex is moving beyond an all-cash system by adding debit/credit card capability—something she argued was needed because the inability to accept cards had cost the complex revenue.
On registration, Shamoon said the season timeline was disrupted by an ice storm, leading the board to extend deadlines and add a $20 late fee for registrations after around March 2–4. She said early signups were encouraging—about 20 teams had registered at the time of the talk, with more expected.
Vowell: participation numbers and bigger goals
Vowell told the club the Sportsplex has completed two seasons since reopening, and he estimated last year’s participation at “between 700 and 800” across baseball, softball, t-ball and adult softball. He said soccer has been a focus as well, including moving play under the lights in the fall because some fields were “cracked and dry,” and he emphasized that while new hires would report to Sportsplex leadership, the organization itself operates under the Washington County Board of Supervisors.
Looking ahead, he said leaders hope to host a weekend basketball tournament at the convention center, and he discussed long-range ideas like improving Legion Field enough to support summer baseball.
Access and community support
During questions, Vowell said there is no admission fee to enter the Sportsplex, telling attendees it is “free of charge” to come in and spend time there. Both speakers repeatedly returned to the same theme: the Sportsplex’s progress is tied to continued sponsorships, volunteer help and community buy-in, which Shamoon said appears to be growing.
