Marysville Mitts, a local travel baseball club, could soon see one of its most beloved coaches immortalized on the field they most often use.
The Marysville Parks and Recreation Commission voted 3-0 Tuesday to recommend council dedicate the B field at Eljer Park to Jesse Sepeda, who died in March. Avanelle Oberlin abstained.
According to a letter from the Mitts organization requesting the dedication, Sepeda was a “mentor to many athletes in the Marysville community.” The letter states he was a baseball, football and wrestling coach, and revived the Mitts travel team in the early 2000s. He also started the Lady Mitts softball organization.
Today, the Mitts organization has eight teams and about 90 players. The Mitts chose Eljer Park because it has a special meaning to the organization.
“Eljer is where the Mitts play,” Public Service Director Mike Andrako said. “That’s their field.”
Sepeda served as the team’s president for eight years, and was involved in wrestling program at Marysville Middle School for four years. He was the head coach for Marysville Youth Football for eight years.
While commissioners Mark Reams and Amy Royhans both supported the request, other members had questions.
Commissioner Janell Alexander noted there’s already a way for people to be recognized in the form of paying for a tree planting. She said if there were set criteria Sepeda had met to get a dedication, she wouldn’t have a problem voting in favor.
“Everybody else is buying their tree and this is kind of free way to give somebody acknowledgment,” she said. “Which I’m sure they were very worthy of, but what’s the criteria?”
Andrako said there will likely never be a “black and white” situation where someone will meet the criteria for dedication. He also said he doesn’t see the system being abused.
“I’ve been here for five years, and this is the first time I’ve had somebody ask something be dedicated to someone else that’s a physical piece of the park,” Andrako said.
Additionally, Events and Recreation Coordinator Amanda Morris said tree memorials are more for personal, sentimental purposes. They’re more for family members than community figures.
Andrako said the idea passed all the “filters” required to get to the Parks and Recreation Commission, and the officials wouldn’t bring it to the commission if they didn’t agree with the request.
Alexander asked how long does it take before something can be rededicated after being dedicated the first time. She asked if the city was running out of things to dedicate, and if rededications might be required in the future.
“I don’t think it can be rededicated, that’s kind of the point,” Andrako said. “We don’t really look at it like that,” Andrako said.
Commissioner Avanelle Oberlin disagreed with the dedication, but abstained instead of voting against it. She said there are many people in the community who have provided similar services. Additionally, based on her experience, dedications are generally tied to a monetary or real estate donation.
“Normally when someone’s name is on the field, it’s because they gave the land,” she said.
Oberlin said in her travels to other cities, she hasn’t enjoyed seeing multitudes of signs dedicated to various people.
“You see all these plaques and all these things on the wall,” she said. “It turns me off I guess.”
Andrako said this particular case makes sense because Sepeda played a legitimately important role developing activities that go on at Eljer. He said the dedication, “is a way to show a lasting memory of him.”