It was a late winter day when Kevin Evans of the Delaware Neighborhood Association and Bobbi Ream of the Meador Park Neighborhood Association met to discuss the importance and strengths of the Springfield neighborhood associations. To find ways to increase involvement in the individual associations, and leverage the separate associations strengths through a combined effort. Knowing we can have a bigger impact when we all work together; a question was asked and a comment made.
The Question: How to get the separate neighborhoods together so neighbors can get to know one another. How to increase the engagement of neighbors with neighborhood associations other than their own across the city?
The Comment: Whatever is decided just remember; the kids in my neighborhood are smarter and better looking than the kids in your neighborhood.
The challenge was made.
Out of this conversation and friendly rivalry, the Springfield Neighborhood Kickball Tournament was born.
Bobbi Ream took the reins on this idea and worked with a group of four neighborhood associations to create the 2019 Kickball Tournament. From finding financial sponsorship, creating the uniform bandannas, securing the ball fields at Meador Park, ensuring flyers and posters where printed and distributed, finding the official rules of kickball, referees for the event, and waivers signed, Bobbi led, helped, and cajoled others to create a highly successful tournament.
In the fall of 2019 she decided to expand the tournament to ALL existing Springfield neighborhood associations. Work began with many neighborhoods leads meeting under Bobbi’s direction and expanding the previous success to a much larger scale. All was set for 2020, then COVID hit. In 2021 but COVID still held the tournament at bay. During this two-year hiatus, it was Bobbi Ream who kept the group energized and focused so that when 2022 arrived the Kickball Tournament could commence.
As the day approached for the 2022 Kickball Tournament, (now referred to as SGF Kickball), the rains began and would not stop. Forcing a rescheduling, Bobbi quickly assembled several neighbors to hand-stamp hundreds of flyers with the new date for the tournament. It seems that misfortune ran in twos since the first rain out and a rescheduling was rained out again.
But the SGF Kickball had a secret weapon: woman of fierce determination and perseverance who would not let these things stand in her way. Bobbi Ream forged ahead and in 2022 another successful Kickball Tournament had been completed.
Without Bobbi’s desire for a better community the idea which sprang from the question of strengthening the bonds of neighbors and neighborhoods across Springfield would have been a great idea which faded away. At the August NAC meeting, Bobbi was recognized by her peers for her hard work and dedication with a trophy of her own. This trophy in no way will compete with a trophy which is arguably the most coveted sports trophy in Springfield, The Bobbi, but it does represent the love felt for her and the honor of having Bobbi Ream as SGF Kickball 2019-2022 Lead Cat Herder.