Burros Looking to Play at L-W East, Providence
After the Mokena Park District parted ways with the Mokena Burros, the youth football and cheer organization has found new places to play.
Following the loss of their field and a barrage of rumors and miscommunication, the Mokena Burros are moving forward with new places to play football in 2012.
At a Burros Board of Directors meeting on Tuesday, athletic director Sal Della Fave said both Lincoln-Way East and Providence Catholic High School have offered their varsity fields to the youth football organization.
Earlier this year, the Mokena Park District decided it would not rent football fields to the Burros. The two organizations discussed an agreement but nothing ever materialized. Early in March, the Burros announced an agreement with the Meijer Corporation to use a vacant development at Route 30 and Wolf Road.
Some parents said they were told that’s where games would be played, but Burros board president Joe Lentz said that was never the case. Instead, the Meijer lot will be used primarily for practices and that will still be the arrangement now that the Burros have other opportunities.
Fave said Lincoln-Way East offered a couple of dates to the Burros, and Providence Catholic would provide its field any Saturday needed. Four of the Saturdays offered would be available any time and two would require a later start.
“We’ll have to sit down and discuss it,” Fave said. “But I think we’ll utilize both.”
Lentz said the youth league will release schedule dates in May, at which point the Burros will work with the schools to determine when and where its games will be held.
He said he was hopeful the Burros could work out an agreement with the Park District, but the district did not reciprocate those feelings. According to previous articles, the Park District would not rent fields to the Burros after the group returned an affiliation agreement edited with changes the district did not agree to.
That follows allegations of coaches and parents breaking park district rules, including one incident last season where a coach was disciplined for throwing a child to the ground and calling him insulting names.
"At this time, we feel it's not in our best interest to affiliate ourselves with the Burros organization," Park District Director Jim Romanek said in a previous article.
But Lentz said Tuesday that the incident never happened, and he was hoping to get past the miscommunication that has occurred. The board talked about drafting a fact sheet that would explain what has occurred and what the situation is for the coming season.
DR- Mokena
8:17 am on Wednesday, April 18, 2012
That's great, but remember Burros fans, no more drinking & partying before and after games on LW East or Providence fields like you did over at Main Park trashing that field and complex, pretending you were at a Ohio State-Michigan game back in your college days. They won't put up with it, and it is very illegal over there to drink on their property. Respect it, or you'll be back at the Meier site at the cow pasture.
Pat Patrick
11:11 am on Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Everyone involved with Mokena Baseball and softball take not and photos of the drinking and terrible conduct at those games. Lets see how the park district reacts to that. It happens ALL THE TIME.
parent
8:52 am on Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Joe do your lies ever stop
One for All
9:16 am on Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Wow. We all know "the incident" happened, so why try to hide it now? In addition, Burro's board has given misinformation about where games are going to be played this year, so I'll believe it when I see it.Guess all we can do is hope that the games will be played at LWE or Providence since all the information given to us in the past has been false!
Jen Gingerelli
9:16 am on Wednesday, April 18, 2012
I am so sick of all the negative comments that keep showing up every time an article is run regarding the Burros. I am all for freedom of speech and you can post or say what you want, but all I see is the same people regurgitating the same phrases over and over. Enough already, we heard you the first time.
I have been at every home game for the past two years (most of them for almost the entire day due to having more than one child in the program) and have never seen parents drinking. I have seen parents socializing and celebrating (which could be looked at as "partying") when their child’s team won. I don’t see anything wrong with that.
I am a Burros parent and proud to be associated with the organization. My son and daughter will play for the Burros this year and each year after. Now let’s all move on to a great season (no matter who your child is playing for) and stop all the negativity. The only ones being affected by it are the kids!
parent
10:02 am on Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Yeah people drink out in the open for every one to see to show every one they are partying. Stop being so naïve the only one hurting the kids is the people involved with burros.
Jen Gingerelli
10:18 am on Wednesday, April 18, 2012
The last thing anyone would call me is naive, I know what goes on at Burros games, as do the majority of others. You, on the other hand, obviously have an adjusted view of reality. As do most that are disgruntled about a subject. What ever happened to upset you so much in regards to the Burros happened in the past, it’s time to move on. Those that live in the past will never heal in the future!
I also find it quite interesting that you hide behind a fake name, are you ashamed to associate your real name to your words???
Mokena Mike
10:07 am on Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Have Burros officials reached out to the Chicago Park District about playing at Soldier Field?
Darlene Kruse
10:17 am on Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Burros people only.... will this include Flag games or just the tackle league?
Dorothy
4:37 pm on Thursday, April 19, 2012
Here's an idea, Patch. Do some actual reporting and call the schools and ask for verification on whether this is true or not. Otherwise, all you are doing is stirring up trouble with unsubstantiated claims.
Rick Lathus
4:38 pm on Thursday, April 19, 2012
Wouldn't it be great if we all got along and hosted a Burros vs. Griffens charity football game to help Mokena schools!! Just like Red vs. Blue... Oh sorry, they are adults who must work together to make it right!!
parent
12:02 pm on Thursday, April 19, 2012
Of course we are the one's that have a twisted view of reality. All part of your spin campaign you are the one's that have been lying about much of everything going on from the beginning but that's ok right because it is in the past. Is that what you teach your kids it does not matter what you do in life because at some point it will be in the past. People who don't know the past are doomed to repeat it again in the future. You are supposed to learn from the past not ignore it so yes you are naive
Alan Vanderbilt
4:39 pm on Thursday, April 19, 2012
Looks at yourselfs ..I dont have a kid playing there but afterreading both sides i am glad I dont have a child over there. you are all pathetic...