Ice Announce intentions to return to Midland in 2007
November 28, 2006 - National Pro Fastpitch (NPF)
Mid Michigan Ice News Release
Jason Newsham, general manager of the Michigan Ice, mid-Michigan's women's professional fastpitch softball team has announced plans that they would like to return to Midland and Currie Stadium for the 2007 season. The Ice were intending to become a full-fledged member of the National Professional Fastpitch (NPF) League in 2007 season but that will not happen until 2008. The Ice will play a full 48-game schedule, including each NPF team on the road and hosting the Akron Racers, Chicago Bandits and Rockford Thunder (formerly the Texas Thunder) in Midland. There are two other weekends that will be available to host international teams as the Ice did last year. Newsham said the 2007 schedule is completed and awaiting league approval before submitting dates to the Parks and Recreation department for their go-ahead.
Newsham said they plan to incorporate youth tournaments on their home weekends to help build upon the youth fan base they started last season. "Our girls were quite popular with the younger kids who lined up for autographs after each game. One thing we heard too often were how players were missing games because of their tournaments outside of the area. So our thinking is by hosting youth tourneys, we can see upwards of 100-150 more kids and parents at the ball games." Member of the Ice recently held a clinic in Grand Rapids and had nearly 50 players at two different sessions. Plans are underway for local clinics to be held at the Hangtime Sports Hit Zone in January, February and March. Last year the Ice held a general skills clinic at the Hit Zone that had 45 girls attend and this year the clinics will be skill and age-specific.
In addressing why the Ice is not joining the NPF in 2007, Newsham stated the team lost its two ownership partners in late April, about five weeks prior to their 2006 season. With several sponsors and players on board, Newsham went ahead with the season in hopes to obtain a new ownership group by the end of the year. "I didn't want to call and tell the players that their season was not going to happen. I knew the team would make the area proud and the players would impact the lives of youth players across mid-Michigan and the entire state," Newsham said. He feels after many phone calls and emails, the players did just that.
As for any potential owners of the team, Newsham has spoken with quite a few interested parties over the past few weeks, many who came out last season and supported the Ice. Newsham would like to see a new ownership group by this spring so that proper paperwork and financial obligations to the league and local businesses can be addressed.
When asked about the current financial situation of the team, Newsham says the team lost a good deal of money in their first year, but not enough to derail the plans for the franchise. 'Being a first year team and on a small-scaled budget, we expected losses of $20k, and we had budgeted for the loss, but a few bad decisions along the way ran the debt to about $50k, and its a hole we are slowly getting out of." Newsham said there is four local businesses and players from last season that need and will be addressed, but overall they have made payments as scheduled. "It was a first year struggle financially, but the future is looking brighter each day. If every business ran and hid when they had egg on their face, there would be a lot of folks in hiding. All we can do is address the debts head on and pay them."
Information about the Ice clinics will be announced soon.
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National Pro Fastpitch Stories from November 28, 2006
- Ice Announce intentions to return to Midland in 2007 - Mid Michigan Ice
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