JBER youth centers relish benefits of jointness

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jeremy Larlee
  • JBER Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  One of the clear winners in the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson merger has been the programs hosted by the base youth centers.

Chris Kitt, JBER director of youth programs, said the Air Force and Army used the same Defense Department regulations for youth programs, which helped make for a smooth merger. He said there were still some growing pains from the merger.

"Getting people to understand that we host the same programs on both sides has been a challenge," he said. "Instead of an 'us and them' mentality it is now a 'we' mentality."
Kitt said the bigger pool of children has boosted the profile of many programs.

"In most cases instead of having two small events, we can have one big event," he said. "It helps streamline planning and makes for a better event."

Paul Caron, Kennecott Youth Center sports director, has especially enjoyed the merger. He said it has helped him build better sports teams.

"Combining has allowed us to have more teams that are better balanced," he said. "In the past, teams on either side of the base may have been stronger in a given year."

Caron said he is really noticing during this Little League baseball season. He is looking forward to competing against other districts during the all-stars tournament.

The fact that he has more children to choose from has not escaped the notice of people from the other districts.

"We were jokingly called the 'new bully on the block' during our meeting this year," he said. "We have been building up our baseball and softball programs for the last few years. We had some success last year. But I feel like we are going to have an even better year this year."

Caron said eliminating the thought process that the Air Force and Army have to do things differently has at times been a hurdle for his sports program.

"Breaking down the 'us and them' mentality has been difficult," he said. "We specifically try our best to build the teams with a mix of Air Force and Army coaches and players."
Caron said one of the main issues has been transportation. He said he does his best to equally spread that burden to parents on both sides of the base.

For example, baseball is being hosted on the Elmendorf side, but volleyball was held on the Richardson side.

He said he tries to use all of the venues available to him.

The additional venues are a strength of the merger for the youth sports program, said Caron. He said it gives him a lot of flexibility in planning.

If a certain facility is closed for renovations or an event, he now has many backups to choose from to ensure the sports seasons run smoothly.

Kitt said that the programs such as 4-H and Boys and Girls Club had a joint theme even before the merger.

"It goes beyond just Air Force and Army for us," he said. "We have had Navy, Marines, Coast Guard and National Guard children in our programs. We have been thinking jointly for years."