By Ali Moreland
The Ponce de Leon City Council held a special meeting on Monday, January 12, to address ongoing concerns regarding the Ponce de Leon Athletics (PDLA) program and to consider whether youth recreation programs should remain under the PDLA Board or fall under City management. The meeting followed public discussion during City Council meetings in November and December, after parents raised concerns during the November 20 meeting and PDLA leadership responded at the December 18 meeting.
Community members, coaches, and PDLA Board representatives participated, with the discussion largely centered on organizational and operational issues that emerged during the current basketball season.
Jena Gilmore, a parent in the community and former board member with Diamond League Sports, now PDLA, submitted an informational packet for the council to review outlining her observations regarding PDLA’s management of events, including games and tryouts. In the packet, Gilmore described issues with team formation, claiming that board members’ children had been placed on a single team. She stated that the resulting imbalance contributed to uneven competition, discouraged players, and created frustration among coaches and parents. Gilmore also included what she described as “common sense solutions” she said could help bring greater fairness to the program.
PDLA representatives, including coaches and members of the board, responded to the concerns, addressing the draft process and the uneven distribution of players across teams. Angel Contreras, one of the coaches for the 7–9 age group, described how team selections were handled.
“Every year I’ve ever played here, if they were on your team last year, they were on your team this year,” he said, adding that similar practices are used in neighboring counties’ youth sports leagues, which he claims is how his team ended up with more experienced players.
PDLA board member Amber Braddy confirmed that concerns regarding uneven or “stacked” teams were brought to the board after the season began.
“This was brought to us, with the stacked teams,” Braddy said. “We had a coach meeting with all the coaches there. We tried to come up with solutions. Not one coach could give us a solution.”
Braddy acknowledged that team assignments resulted in competitive imbalances and said the method used this season was consistent with how teams have been divided in previous basketball seasons.
“It [the stacked teams] did happen,” Braddy said. “Because the coach [Contreras] came, and he had his players that he had the couple years before.”
She continued by describing how the remaining teams were formed.
“One coach [Chris Pryor] didn’t come until a little later because we needed one more coach to join. But the other coach [BJ Stephens] that was already there, he agreed to him [Contreras] having his 6. [Stephens] looked them over, seen what 6 they had and then the other two coaches [Stephens and Pryor] picked their teams until they caught up with him. Then he [Contreras] got whoever was left.”
PDLA representatives also noted that corrective measures were offered after the season had already begun, though many families were hesitant to move their children once relationships had been established with coaches and teammates.
City Council members raised concerns regarding the level of oversight for the athletics program.
“There’s no oversight from the town in PDL Athletics,” said council member Ashley Johnson, “and that’s where the disconnect is coming from…because we don’t know these issues until someone brings them to us.”
Council members also discussed the impact on participants.
“What we’re hearing is the kids are not having a good time,” said council member Laura Johnson.
No formal decisions were made during the meeting, and current PDLA Vice President Kayla Graham spoke to the council during the January 15 regular meeting, affirming the PDLA Board’s commitment to the families in the program through transparency and communication with the town.
ANDREA WATERS 
Staff Report 