City Names Phillips-Ritchey To Summer Ball Program

Kara Phillips-Ritchey has had a 36-year love affair with softball, and she will soon put that passion to good use as the city’s new director of the summer ball park program.

Doniphan City Council members approved Phillips-Ritchey’s appointment during their Jan. 7 meeting.

Mayor Dennis Cox endorsed Phillips-Ritchey by stating to the council, “I’ve known Kara for a long time and I think she would be an excellent director for our program.”

Mayor Cox went on to comment that Phillips-Ritchey, who is currently assistant high school softball coach for Doniphan R-I, has the sports knowledge and expertise for the job.

“Kara knows what she is doing and I think she can handle any issues that might come up. Also, she is really great with kids.”

As director, Phillips-Ritchey intends to approach the job with the same gusto that she has applied to her business endeavors.

“I am seasoned in business management. I started two small businesses from the ground up, SNIPS Salon and Cell Comm, right here in Ripley County. I had both for seven years. I dealt with inventory, ordering, time management and more,” she says.

She also has been supervisor and acting manager at various other businesses, one of which was a two-year stint for the Current River Sheltered Workshop.

Phillips-Ritchey’s knowledge of the game coupled with her love for working with children are the two things that led her to apply.

She began playing at the tender age of seven, so sports became such an important part of her childhood development that she was motivated to take on coaching.

“I have coached kids of all ages, as well as adults, everything from tee ball to adult fast-pitch and slow-pitch, on this very same summer league and also traveling teams.

“My current position as assistant at the high school will be a great asset because I am required to keep up on all the current rules for fast-pitch,” says Phillips-Ritchey.

Once the teams are picked, she wants to plan a free learning camp for girls of all ages and coaches.

“I will also try to do one for baseball, if I can get people knowledgeable to help me,” she says.

Having played and coached and also, as a mom with son who plays, the new director says she understands the competitive aspect of the sport and knows “things can get heated at times.” However, her aim will be to keep the focus on “fun, incorporated with learning.”

“If the kids aren’t having fun, what’s the point? As director I will do my best to make the program successful in both learning the basics of ball but also having fun while doing it.”

When it comes to making calls on the plays, umpires will have the final say, and if necessary she will have the rule book handy to back them up.

For her, the bottom line is that people respect each other and the game.

She says, “I stand my ground, but am respectful to anyone that has an issue and am willing to listen and talk things through with them. I appreciate these coaches who volunteer parts of their summer to try and help these kids, and they deserve respect. At the same time I won’t tolerate bad examples in front of the kids.”

Phillips-Richey sums it all up by saying, “In the end, the program is all about the kids. My focus will always be with them.”

She says she will try to fill the shoes of former Rob Hodgkiss, her predecessor.

“Roy did a great job during his stint and I hope that I can continue to mirror his values and love for the kids! He was a great director!”