Middleburg Association of Athletics Needs Volunteers: Nine Board Seats Open, Apply by Oct. 30

Parents, your park needs you. The Middleburg Association of Athletics, the volunteer group behind youth football, baseball, softball and cheer at the Broncos’ home park, is looking for new board members, and it wants parents to answer the call.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Oct. 14, MAA announced it is “now accepting applications for Board of Director positions up for reelection.” Nine seats are open:

Applications are due Thursday, Oct. 30, by email to eboard@maasports.org. According to the post, eligible candidates are members who have attended three monthly meetings in the previous six months. MAA also shared a flyer for each seat listing its duties, from field and building upkeep to background checks, concession stand ordering, umpire scheduling and running the association’s website.

A Parent’s Call to Action

The announcement picked up steam on Thursday, Oct. 15, when a parent whose daughters cheer at MAA shared it in a Middleburg community Facebook group after attending a board meeting the night before.

“Our park is in trouble. It’s time for a change in leadership, we need more parents getting involved. As of now MAA board has seats they can’t fill, if you have a child that participates at MAA we need your help.”
A Middleburg parent, in a Facebook post

In comments, that parent said the cheer program has struggled to get lights for night practice, replacement mats and leveled ground in its practice area, and that families were often told those requests needed county commission approval. The parent also wrote that they objected to a remark they said the association’s president made about competitive cheer at the meeting.

“EVERY SPORT AT THIS PARK MUST COME TOGETHER AS ONE TO HELP FIX THIS PARK FROM THE BOARD TO THE FIELDS,” the parent wrote.

Neighbors Weigh In

The post drew about 40 comments, and not everyone agreed on where the problem lies.

A former board member, who wrote that they served on the MAA board a few seasons ago, said slow county action is nothing new. “When I was there we had sewage backing up and flooding the grass and it took the county like 6-8 months to fix the issue,” the former board member wrote in a Facebook comment. They added that “the current board is getting things done to better the park for the children and families, it just comes very slow due to the lack of support on the counties end.”

“The county is not fast acting with ANY parks.”
A commenter who has been part of the Middleburg, Green Cove and Fleming Island associations

Others pushed back on the idea that Middleburg is being singled out. Another parent, whose family recently left Fleming Island’s association, wrote that the only reason FIAA looks as good as it does “was because of parents and volunteers putting in their own time and money.”

One commenter questioned the funding concerns. “They have a budget they just spent thousands of dollars on new lighting at the park,” they wrote in a Facebook comment. Another asked, “why is the park in trouble?? They should have plenty of money in the bank !!” The parent who started the discussion replied that they have “zero knowledge about the funds” and that their focus is filling board seats and getting parents involved.

Several commenters criticized the county’s new sports complex on Blanding Boulevard, saying the money would have been better spent on the existing park. Those comments reflect the writers’ opinions.

Parents also offered encouragement. One parent wrote that their son has played baseball at MAA for three years and “has had nothing but an amazing experience,” adding:

“MAA is about the kids. That’s it.”

Clay County officials did not comment in the Facebook discussion, and Clay County News did not reach the county before publication.