Features

an Jeffers, president of the nonprofit Territorial Sports Program for Elmira, Veneta and surrounding areas, says seeing “all the kids, seeing them have fun” has kept him motivated in his role for more than 40 years.

TSP provides sports programs — including soccer, volleyball, basketball, baseball and softball — for more than 700 elementary and middle school students in the community. Since 1977, it has helped fill a gap within the Fern Ridge School District, which doesn’t provide school-sponsored sports programs until high school.

Jeffers said he began with TSP as an involved parent. He enrolled his children to play the sports they wanted, and he eventually started to volunteer his time to represent Veneta Elementary School. As the Veneta representative, Jeffers coordinated practice schedules and collaborated with other schools. He quickly took over as the baseball director, managing the day-to-day operations of the baseball program, scheduling of games, coordinating with the coaches and parents, and taking care of any conflicts. Shortly after, he became board president while continuing as a baseball director.

As president, Jeffers serves as the official face of TSP. He oversees the board of directors, defines the vision and goals of the organization, and ensures the financial stability of the program. 

“Finding someone to replace Alan, who cares so deeply about TSP, that’s going to be hard. You have to find someone who is willing to put the kids and community first. Most people aren’t there to look at the larger picture, but Alan does,” TSP treasurer Denea Meister-Farrar said. 

Costs for general sports fees are $85 per child at the elementary school level, and at the middle school level it is $150 per child. TSP tries to keep costs affordable, and as part of that effort, the program hosts auctions and relies on donors.

Jeffers said a common misconception about where the money goes is that board members are paid for their time. In fact, he said, most people who are part of TSP volunteer their time for the community, which is what makes this program so special. The fees pay for referees, the costs of equipment and upkeep, buses, and scholarship opportunities for the referees to help further their career goals. 

Expanding the program is a top priority to the organization, and as a result, the sports complex is undergoing a full renovation. The plan for the new complex started in 2010-11. However, the project saw little progress until around a year ago, which is when the remodeling started.

At first the process involved meetings with the City of Veneta. Now, the city is putting millions of dollars into making the complex a reality. To accommodate the city and show appreciation, TSP has come up with a plan to take care of the facility and support the upkeep.

With the new complex, TSP leaders hope to have more tournaments, which means more games, and are considering renting it to outside teams, with TSP still getting priority. Jeffers said TSP is just happy to provide more to the community and thinks it will be a good addition to possibly bring in more attractions and tourism. 

Jeffers said the largest drawback that the program is facing has nothing to do with the kids; it’s getting parents and volunteers involved.

“It’s hard to get umpires or referees,” Jeffers said, “but it’s really hard to get adults involved, as coaches or on the board.”

TSP is always looking for volunteers. All board meetings are open to the public. A calendar is posted on the TSP website, and it’s regularly updated.

For now, Jeffers continues to lead TSP with a steady hand with an eye toward a future providing more opportunities for young athletes.