Wince devotes life to leading by example at CPC
Tony Wince, who has been working at the Cleveland Park Commission since 2008, doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty to get things done as the CPC Maintenance Director.
Wince and his crew of workers keep the fields mowed and racked so everything is in tip-top shape. Wince and the rest of the maintenance crew put their skills to the test as they had to make sure fields were playable during the two Dizzy Dean North State Tournaments hosted at Bear Pen Park on June 12-15. Cleveland hosted the 8 and Under North State Girls Coach Pitch Tournament and the 10 and Under North State Softball Tournament.
Wince, who was on his mower after cutting a field on a warm, late morning last week, said the biggest thing he strives to do is lead from the front and not from the back.
“I try to lead by example,” said Wince. “I don’t ask these young men to do anything that I won’t do. As a matter of fact, I’m going to get out here and do more than them just to show them your actions are going to speak louder than your mouth. You get out here and do what you’re supposed to do. As the tournaments went on, I didn’t have to tell those guys what to do. They knew their role. It made it easy on me and easy on the director. He knew that these guys were going to take care of their jobs on top of picking up trash, being hospitable or whatever else needed to be done.”
The maintenance crew had a challenge in getting the fields ready for the tournaments as it rained each day.
Wince said you got to observe what’s happening and assess the situation with the fields to determine what you have to do when bad weather hits the area.
“When the rain comes in, you mainly have to play the wait and see game,” said Wince. “You wait till the rain stops and see how much water you have on the field. We just try to let it drain off a little bit, and we get out there and get on it. It just depends on the time schedule. If we have one or two games left in that day, we’ll try to get the fields ready. Mainly, we’ll just push the games to the next day and have a little more time to work on the fields.”
Along with working on the fields during the tournaments, Wince, who is also a certified umpire, called 15 games during the Dizzy Dean 8 and Under Girls Coach Pitch Tournament.
“You’ve got to change your face,” said Wince about going from field work to umpiring. “You get out here working on these fields, and these kids see you working on these fields. The people that have come up through the park commission that are grown now, they appreciate you and thank you. These kids that were out here in the tournaments, they came up and said, ‘Oh, Mr. Umpire, we appreciate you working on these fields.’ It just makes you feel special.”
Wince said you have to keep that same drive and work ethic calling a game to be able to make it run smoothly.
“The umpire dictates the flow of the game,” said Wince. “If you’re going to be lazy, you’re going to have a lazy game. If you keep the game moving, get these kids on and off the field and keep them hydrated, that will keep your game flowing.”
Wince especially stressed the importance of memorizing the rules as an umpire.
“If you want to be a good, decent umpire, the first thing is to get in that book and learn the rules,” said Wince. “When your dealing with kids, there is something that’s going to come up. You need to have that knowledge of the rule book.”
When the Dizzy Dean Tournaments were over and completed on the day they were supposed to be completed, Wince couldn’t have been happier with his crew of five.
“It’s very rewarding,” said Wince. “We’re short staffed. With these guys, one person was acting like three people. It’s a success overall when you see the sweat and the tears that these guys put in. When it’s over with, they still have a job to do. They still have to get out here and cut grass. They’re tired, but they still have to get it done.”
Cleveland Park Commission Director Christian Johnston couldn’t praise Wince enough for his work.
“I enjoy working with him,” said Johnston. “He is a hard worker. He makes my job easier because I know that is an area that will be taken care of the correct way. He brings the experience and wisdom of what he has learned over the years. If I am needing something done, all I have to do is ask and he gets it done.”
Wince said the youth that participate in the programs motivate him everyday.
“I love working with these children,” said Wince. “It’s all about these kids.”
