FORT MYERS, Fla. — Bishop Verot Softball has called the Sam Fleishman Regional Sports Complex home for years. However, at the start of this season, the Vikings don’t really have a home. The team’s field has been deemed “unplayable” due to sustained damage from Hurricane Ian.
“In a short amount of time, there was a lot of work that needed to be done,” Head Coach Christopher Gatewood said.
That work didn’t get done in time for the start of the season. Bishop Verot was supposed to have its home opener last Wednesday, but after the umpires and coaches walked around the field prior to the first pitch, they decided to postpone the game for safety reasons.
“Having to go back and tell your girls that was not easy,” Gatewood said.
That conversation was even more difficult because Bishop Verot was supposed to play Fort Myers — a longtime rival and one of the best teams in Southwest Florida this season.
“It was really frustrating,” senior pitcher Victoria Ash said. “A lot of us were really upset about it because that’s a huge home opener. It’s always been a big rivalry.”
The coaches and officials did not want to play the game due to the field’s uneven conditions. The grass and dirt are not level, which could lead to injuries. Gatewood said one of his players fell during practice because of the uneven ground.
Bishop Verot also had to switch the location of their second scheduled home game. The Vikings were supposed to play Charlotte in Fort Myers on Tuesday, but instead, the game had to be moved to Punta Gorda.
“It’s definitely just been like an obstacle for everyone,” Ash said. “I know my parents like to be there for every game.”
The complex’s sustained hurricane damage is making it more difficult for the Bishop Verot parents and families to watch the Vikings play. In addition to the uneven ground, there are broken fences, debris on the ground, and other damage throughout the fields.
“With it being a city field, there’s not a whole lot that we can do,” Gatewood said. “It’s kind of out of our hands.”
Bishop Verot does not have another field that they could play on in the meantime. The Vikings are practicing on the field, but the coaches do not want to risk full-game action.
The complex is also used for youth baseball and softball. Those fields are damaged too and impacting the younger athletes and teams.
Bishop Verot was originally hoping the field would be ready for their home opener, but now, the Vikings aren’t sure when they’ll be able to play their first home game.
“We were told, or we were under the impression, that the field was going to be ready to go this Wednesday, as in yesterday, but as you can kind of look around and see, we still have a lot of things that need to get done here,” Gatewood said.
Bishop Verot’s next scheduled home game is Wednesday, March 15.
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