Sponsor signed for refurbished ball diamond
KITCHENER — When Trevor Nyp saw new ball fields being installed at Upper Canada Park, he saw an opportunity for his business, Playball Academy.
The four underused A2 diamonds are getting a major $2-million makeover, and will open in time for the 2019 ball season as A1 fields, with better playing fields, backstops, benches, bleachers and irrigation. Nyp, who is a partner and general manager at the indoor baseball facility, had been looking for a way for the company to make a contribution to the community.
He contacted his city councillor, who put him in touch with the city’s team working to develop corporate sponsorships.
After some discussion, the city announced Monday that one of the refurbished ball diamonds will be called Playball Academy Field, in the first sponsorship of a ball diamond since the city approved a new corporate sponsorship policy in mid-2016.
For $40,000, the diamond will bear Playball Academy’s name. Signs at the diamond and directing people to the field will bear the company’s name for five years, staring in the 2019 season. As well, Playball gets access to the field for two weeks a year, which will give it an opportunity to carry out baseball clinics, camps or other events in an outdoor location.
The company, which started three years ago, was looking for a way to give back to the community, Nyp said. Sponsoring a field, that will be used by all sorts of players at all sorts of skill levels, seemed like a better fit than sponsoring a specific team, he said.
“It’s not necessarily a revenue thing,” he said. “It’s spreading the word, showing that we care about this community ... It’s going to really showcase what kind of facility we have.”
The money from the sponsorship will be used to offset the cost of delivering recreation programming in Kitchener, said Jeremy Dueck, a city staffer involved in developing sponsorships. Since instituting the policy, the city has also signed a sponsorship with Tepperman’s Furniture, which has a lounge at Sportsworld Arena bearing its name.