Bentley takes over BSC from Woodside

Moving forward

I think going forward, we’ve got soccer, the softball team, we’re looking at more ideas including pushing the middle field back so baseball could come here. I’m all in for that, I would love to have more high school sports here and be involved in that.”

Landon Bentley, Sports Complex director

FORT MADISON – A familiar face is now walking the grounds of the Baxter Sports Complex.
Former Fort Madison Bloodhound Landon Bentley has taken over as director of the facility. He secedes Jeff Woodside who left the position this month to take a position with the Burlington School District.
Woodside is completing his teacher education certificate this summer.
Bentley was announced at the Baxter Sports Complex annual golf outing last Friday. The 2017 Fort Madison high school graduate took over operations on July 5. Woodside worked with Bentley in tandem to learn about operations until his final day on Tuesday.
Bentley said he would like to see the sports complex evolve a bit into a place for like-minded student athletes to gather and work on skills while also having a place to socialize.
“Finding a way for that, even for high school kids who will sit here and talk for hours after soccer league, is important to me,” Bentley said.
“This is a good outlet for them. Somewhere where they won’t be out getting in trouble and they can play sports here. It’s a great environment and finding a way to enhance the social aspect is a good idea.
They can come up and get food – there’s staff here. That’s something I can really envision for this place.”
Bentley said Woodside has momentum building at the complex and he wants to see that continue, but also has some ideas of his own.
“Right now I’m looking to build off what Jeff has got for me foundation-wise. He’s done a great job over the past seven year. He’s been a huge help,” Bentley said.
“I think there’s some things in the future that I will look to freshen up my own way. But I will also be looking for new ideas and ways to grow the sports complex even more.”
One of those ideas is to bring some of the younger adults onto a program committee to look into other possibilities for the facility.
I’ve always been a Fort Madison guy. This is right up my alley. I’m dedicated and ready to go. I’ve got some ideas for tournaments, maybe do a fall league. During the football year, we’re going to do all the away games out here. We did that last year, but we want to continue that.”
“Our committee is small right now on the programming. I’m thinking about bringing guys more my age to the committee and brain-storm some ideas."
Fort Madison High School has already moved the softball program out to the complex and there is still talk about moving the baseball program out there if the middle field can be pushed back to accommodate the dimensions. Bentley said he would like to see more of the high school athletic programs use the facility.
“I think going forward, we’ve got soccer, the softball team, we’re looking at more ideas including pushing the middle field back so baseball could come here. I’m all in for that, I would love to have more high school sports here and be involved in that,” he said.
Bentley is a current assistant with the FMHS high school girls' basketball and soccer coach.
“I think we’ve got the facilities to do that stuff. Now it’s just coming to an agreement and figuring everything out,” he said
The current relationship with youth sports at the YMCA is something Bentley said is important to the future success of the complex. He said FM YMCA director Ryan Wilson, a former coach of Bentley’s, does a great job executing those programs.
Bentley said he'd like to create more consistency around events and add new ideas like grass basketball, spike ball tournaments, and obstacle courses to create a new environment at the complex.
Currently BSC officials are looking at replacing the warning tracks on the three ball fields.
“We are looking at improving our warning track materials right now. We want to do all three fields and we need to do that. Those are our babies. They keep us running and keep us fueled."
Bentley said those decisions and the direction of the complex are in the hands of a strong board, who just pulled off the most successful golf outing the complex has ever had last Friday.
“I do have a phenomenal board that backs me. They know I’m jumping into a big role with a lot of responsibility. But I’m the guy for it. I know that I am. I’ll keep a smile on my face for people and I’m ready to keep it rolling,” he said.