DYBA Honors Outstanding Community Members and Volunteers

By Michael “Skipper” Felish

At its monthly virtual board meeting on Tuesday, February 9, Deerfield Youth Baseball and Softball Association acknowledged and recognized three members of the Deerfield community for their contributions to DYBA and the young boys and girls that make up the program’s baseball and softball teams.

Laura McCarty, Director of Recreation, and Jeff Nehila, Executive Director, both of the Deerfield Park District, were honored with the DYBA Community Impact Award chosen by a committee consisting of the current DYBA Commissioner, Immediate Past Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner. The award itself honors two individuals of the community who have devoted countless time and energy to serving the organization, many of those hours worked “behind the scenes,” and in doing so have had an immeasurable impact on DYBA and the community.

During the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the spring, summer and fall baseball and softball seasons were not guaranteed. Facing a crisis unlike any other, it was McCarty and Nehila who worked tirelessly alongside the Village of Deerfield and DYBA to follow the everchanging guidelines of the CDC and state regulations which led to the opportunity to allow baseball and softball being played safely and responsibly.

“Understanding and then executing the ever-changing safety protocols became a day to day obstacle course, and Laura and Jeff were always available for DYBA, morning, noon, and night,” said Paul Chanan, Immediate Past Commissioner of DYBA. “Our collaboration went well above and beyond, and although it is but a mere token of our appreciation, the DYBA Community Impact Award given to Laura and Jeff could not have gone to two more caring and hard-working people.”

“It involved a lot of communication,” McCarty said as she recalled the work put in leading up to last season. “Each time updated guidelines were sent out allowing different sports to begin play again – that’s what we were following in order to make sure baseball and softball were played. Our rules did revolve around the guidelines released by the CDC, just to make sure that play was safe and if people drove by on the street and saw a baseball game happening, that all guidelines were to be followed.”

“The thing that I had to ensure was that any affiliate program that we had in Deerfield was complying with the standards,” Nehila added, “but also the optics of people walking through the park, we had to make sure that the guidelines were being followed. Being able to assure village officials that DYBA was following the guidelines was part of my communication in trying to provide the village with some sense of security and knowledge that DYBA was a strong follower and often exceeded the expectations.”

“I spent some time out on the field checking things out. Sometimes you knew I was there and sometimes you didn’t. I had to do that just to make sure that we can continue to ensure village officials as well as any spectator in the public that we were doing the best we could in following all guidelines.”

With fields back open in Deerfield for practices and eventually games, the chance for boys and girls to be back with their friends in an athletic and social setting made all the hard work worth it for McCarty and Nehila.

“For the kids, whether they realized it or not, I think it meant normalcy,” McCarty said. “If you gave them the opportunity to get out there and be with their friends and do something that they love, for lack of better words, they were brought out of isolation. We were shut down for most of that time leading up to when the season was able to start.”

“I think it was not only priceless for the kids because their smiles were big and wide, but also for the families that were out supporting them because it gave them an outlet as well,” Nehila added. “Nothing is better than watching a ballgame on a summer night in Deerfield. It’s such a tight knit community and people are always very friendly and very accommodating. The chance for these players to share time with their friends and family is simply priceless.”

With plans on vaccinations and all regions in the state reaching Stage 4 in the Restore Illinois Plan, McCarty shares confidence in continuing the safety measures and procedures from last season to ensure a successful and safe baseball and softball season for all involved in DYBA.

“As of right now the plans are very similar to the way we operated last summer. There are still guidelines out there that we have to follow. By following those guidelines, we will be able to allow our affiliates to play. Again, safety remains our top priority making sure DYBA is following all the rules so the Village of Deerfield knows that safety is being adhered to.”

Dan McGrath, this year’s recipient of the Harry Steindler Award, was active in allowing DYBA to return to play last season. After holding several positions over his six years on the board including Director of Fields, Travel Softball Director and Commissioner, it was clear McGrath would be a huge asset in assisting in several different areas on the matter.

“It was unprecedented times,” McGrath said. “There was no script for it. We had nothing to look back on and say this is how we did it in the past. We were going by what the IDPH said, we were going by the Village of Deerfield and the Deerfield Park District. Once we got the green light, we asked each other how we were going to do this. And we figured it out. The amount of time and hours that went into this by a volunteer board can never be appreciated. It’s unbelievable thinking about the amount of time we spent putting together guidelines, to get our kids, boys and girls, back onto the field safely.”

The Harry Steindler Award is awarded by the DYBA Commissioner each year to one member of the DYBA community who has demonstrated the highest level of commitment and leadership to DYBA, and to the girls and boys of Deerfield.

“It was my honor to recognize Dan for everything that he has done for many years for the girls and boys of the Deerfield community,” said Harley Rosenthal, DYBA Commissioner. “Dan spent countless hours making DYBA a better organization and we are forever grateful for all of his hard work and contributions.”

“I spent a lot of time in the organization, McGrath said. “To be honored with the Harry Steindler Award was something special. I’ve known Harry a long time. I helped recruit him back to the board [in 2015] and I know how much he cares about DYBA and the kids.”

“What I know about Harry, is that me and him put the kids first. You have to put personal agendas aside, even when I had two kids in the program at the same time. You have to recruit good people to be on the board.”

McGrath credited the work and cohesiveness with his fellow board members when recalling the success from the past season and years prior with any challenges that may come to the board.

“We get phone calls, emails and coaches who will grab us to the side and say, ‘Wow, you guys do everything right. What’s the secret? How do you do it?’ We get it done because we always put the kids first and we have a great volunteer board. We may not always agree on everything but when we get out of the room whether we agree or disagree on certain topics, we get on the same page and have the same communication sent out to the community and we have done that for many years.”

When asked if he wanted to add any additional statements in regards to his award or his time with DYBA, he had one simple word: volunteer.

“I encourage people to raise their hand and volunteer,” McGrath said. “It’s a great way to spend time with your kids, be involved in the community and be able to give back. Whether you know anything about softball or anything about baseball, there’s something for you to do.”