MPD partners with Walmart to update youth tee-ball equipment

When Milan Police Chief Carl Ustupski saw that the local youth teeball’s league was short on equipment for the upcoming season, he jumped on the phone to see what he could do, and a partnership with Walmart came out of it.

Chief Ustupski and some of the other officers in the Milan Police Department have been involving themselves in the community recently in the form of coaching. The department just finished up coaching a youth basketball team, and now they’re moving on to teeball. The league has four teams, and it is facilitated through the Village of Milan Recreation Department. The league’s coaches met last week for a coaches meeting, which is when Ustupski discovered the state of the league’s equipment.

“We volunteered to coach a team and I didn’t know our equipment was pretty non-existent. They showed it to us last week at the coaches meeting, so I started making some phone calls, and then I was told Walmart had a program possibly that could donate a small amount to us to help with equipment,” explained Ustupski.

Ustupski met with Walmart officials, who asked the chief to submit a letter. Walmart Front End Coach Jennifer Beard received the letter, and asked Ustupski how much he thought they needed. “Obviously I told her five million dollars,” Ustupski joked. Realistically though, Ustupski gave Beard an estimate of about $300, and Beard was on board with that. Ustupski was told that if they didn’t have all of the equipment needed at the Grants location, that he could go to Albuquerque and get the same deal, but after shopping on Tuesday, June 7, Ustupski said, “We pretty much got everything we needed just to get us by.”

Some of the equipment Ustupski was able to get were helmets for safety, tees to hit off of, bats, and baseballs. According to the chief, the league only had four bats to share amongst four teams prior to the donation. Ustupski also added that the village had intentions to update the equipment going into the next fiscal year with the next budget, but practice started Monday, June 6, so Ustupski was happy the opportunity to partner with Walmart arose when it did.

“It just gives them more. This is where they’re learning their skills, so there’s a lot more we can do,” said Ustupski, who also played baseball in college. Ustupski said something he did during his time playing baseball was going through skills stations, and he hopes an increase in equipment allows the kids of Milan to do the same.

“The more equipment we have, we could run stations and that keeps the kids more engaged. Otherwise, we have two baseballs, one bat, one tee, and them just standing there while one kid’s doing something. My goal is to keep them moving through the whole practice, and that’ll keep them engaged,” explained the chief.

Ustupski played baseball in the Pittsburg area, so he reached out to a friend who coaches in the Pittsburg Pirates organization as well. Understandably, Ustupski learned that many of the organization’s donation initiatives are “geared towards their area,” but Ustupski was able to receive information on grants that the organization offers, so he said additional equipment could be coming later on through that option.

As for what they were able to get so far, Ustupski expressed his appreciation towards Walmart, adding, “I mean, this is amazing.” Front End Coach Jennifer Beard also spoke on what it meant to her and Walmart to be able to contribute to the local youth in this way, “I mean, Walmart, they’re known for helping out their communities. And especially with being in the middle of nowhere, you know, the community kind of depends on businesses to help them when they need things, and Walmart is in a position to do that.”

The team Ustupski and his fellow officers coach consists of kids ages three-and-a-half to about five years old. Practices are from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. and all teams practice at Mirabal Park. Games start on June 20. Some of the MPD officers helping out with the team are Officer Howard, Officer Pacheco, and Officer Salazar. Ustupski also wants to see the parents get more involved this season. “It’s our kiddos, it’s our community, I have a five-year-old on the team, so I want to be involved with our community.”

Community members interested in donating baseball equipment to Milan’s youth tee-ball league, or donating materials to Milan’s Summer Fun Club, can do so by contacting Milan Recreation Department at 505-287-2200 or milanrecreation@villageofmilan.com.