Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, August 24 Title: Depression of the owner of a grassroots club
Xinhua News Agency reporter Ma Bangjie
The Scythians are lonely and haggard.
On the 23rd, in the Beijing branch of the China Slow Pitch Softball Enterprise League, no matter whether the game was won or lost, everyone was in high spirits, except for Yan Jun, the chairman of the Touchdown Baseball Club who was responsible for organizing the game, who looked depressed and full of sorrow.
The Touchdown Baseball Club is a grassroots club that reporters have been following for a long time, and has been working at the grassroots level to promote baseball and softball. Since last year, they have held the "Sunday Slow Pitch Softball Open" at Beijing Baolian Sports Park, allowing baseball and softball fans in Beijing to have their own games. In this year's China Slow Pitch Softball Enterprise League, all 16 participating teams were "incubated" through games held by touchdown clubs.
One of the most team members is the mother's "Sky Squad" - the Tiantongyuan Elementary School Team. Because Tiantongyuan Primary School opened a baseball class, many parents liked baseball under the guidance of their children. Four years ago, they set up the Tian Squad, which usually trains at Tiantongyuan Elementary School, uses the venue there for free, and sometimes goes to the Shunyi Dajin Baseball Club to participate in competitions.
"The grounds there are good, it's a pity it was demolished." Fu Yujia of the Heavenly Squad said.
Fu Yujia's family of three all played baseball and softball, and was a "baseball family". My son has been admitted to junior high school from Tiantongyuan Primary School. This year, due to the outbreak of the epidemic, Tiantongyuan Primary School was closed to the outside world, and they could not go there to train, but could only do some exercises in their own community because of their ugliness.
"We tied a rope to the ball and the other end to the tree so that the ball wouldn't fly wildly when hit." Fu Yujia said.
Fortunately, by May, the epidemic situation in Beijing was stable, and the "Sunday Slow Pitch Softball Open" was held, and the Tian squad could participate in the game again. They only need to pay a thousand yuan a day to participate in three games, each costing less than 20 yuan per person.
"We enjoyed playing in this tournament because here we had the opportunity to play with retired international players. This is rare in other ball games. Fu Yujia said.
Another player in the Tian squad, a Beijing company executive, thanked the Touchdown Baseball Club for providing them with good and affordable services, and also expressed his confusion to reporters: "Can they make money for such a low fee?" What do they survive on? ”
How the club survives is exactly the problem that Yan Jun is distressed about.
During the pandemic this year, all gathering sports training and competitions were stopped. The touchdown club is dismal, there is no income, and the salaries of employees are not reduced. As a grassroots club, I have been living a life of living within my means, and I have no savings. Every additional day of the epidemic means that they are one step closer to a desperate situation. Yan Jun suffered a lot, worried about his psychological problems, and even went to the Union Hospital to register for help from a psychologist.
In May, Beijing was finally able to host a match, and the pressure on the touchdown club was slightly reduced. Unexpectedly, in mid-June, the epidemic in Beijing recurred, and the club's activities were suspended and fell into an indefinite wait. In desperation, Yan Jun pulled the club employees into the Pinggu Peach Garden and used the relationship resources at hand to sell peaches to survive.
Recently, the epidemic has been effectively controlled and sports events have resumed. The China Slow Pitch Softball Enterprise League begins. The Beijing Division is located at the Touchdown Club's venue in Baolian Sports Park. "Now Beijing is a venue suitable for this event." An event official said.
Therefore, the matches in the Beijing division are also organized by the Touchdown Club. A club source told reporters that the event was different from their own "Sunday Slow Pitch Softball Open" and had a lot of extra expenses. They just lose money and lose tens of thousands of dollars a day.
They will hold four days of competitions, with a total loss of more than 40,000 yuan. For the average company, 40,000 yuan may not be a lot, but for the Touchdown baseball club, every penny lost may become the last straw that crushes the camel.
The Touchdown Club offers amateur baseball and softball enthusiasts in Beijing, such as The Sky Squad, an event where they can play at leisure on weekends. But few people can see the club's struggles, and few people ask with concern: Are they charging too low?
Yan Jun has a deep affection for baseball and softball. He has his own concerns about increasing the charging standard: "After years of hard work, the beijing baseball and softball sport has just gained good momentum, and we can also be happy to hold an event that everyone likes." Now it is worried that raising the charging standard will affect everyone's enthusiasm. ”
Between feelings and survival, Yan Jun fell into the pain of choice. Survival is of course an obvious choice, but if you lose your feelings, what is the point of survival?
"I hope the epidemic will end quickly and completely!" He let out a long sigh, which is equivalent to giving the answer: if there is no epidemic interference, his feelings can still be maintained. (End)