Pleasant View’s neglected junior pro football league, the Eagles, is getting a clear focus on its future, thanks to new leadership.
The Pleasant View Athletic Association (PVAA), which already heads up baseball and softball for the city, will be taking over the youth football program that recently dismantled.
The league’s previous commissioner, Josh Hamblin, who has not responded to more than half a dozen requests for comment from The Post, didn’t meet important deadlines to enable the Eagles to kick off their 2019 season; it will be the first time the league has not had a season in nearly four decades.
The PVAA, established in 1977, is adding football to their association as they welcome a new president and chairman, Daniel Smiley. Smiley, a Pleasant View native, joined the board on August 5. He’s coached 12 years at his alma mater Sycamore High, with seven of those years as head baseball coach. Smiley changed careers in January and now works for Farm Bureau Insurance in Ashland City.
The former coach isn’t afraid of hard work, and he was an advocate for the addition of the Eagles to the PVAA. Smiley said he looks forward to building on the accomplishments of the previous board and adding more board positions to help with building out the football program.
“Getting football under the umbrella of PVAA is the right thing to do moving forward,” he said. “We will need to create a few board spots for football in the coming months and really hash out the details, so we are prepared to have a quality league with quality individuals running it,” Smiley added.
As far as the focus for the future, he said, “It’s going to be about growing our sports and evolving along with the growth our community is experiencing. I know the City is aware we need a quad park, and we will do whatever we can to work alongside that board diligently and professionally” to help bring the park to fruition.
Smiley added that being good neighbors and keeping up the current facilities will be a vital part of their goals moving forward. “We also have a current park to keep maintaining as well. PVAA has always paid for our own electricity and water down at the fields. We also pay for the mowing of the grass and field maintenance. We do not cost the school system any money, as we pay it all ourselves.”
Finally, the incoming PVAA President hopes to get more folks in the community involved in instilling positive behaviors in the young athletes. “We have amazing girls and boys playing for these teams, amazing family’s raising these children, and we need more amazing volunteers to step forward and help coach these teams. There’s never enough help, we are always looking for help.”
Smiley said the vision of the PVAA is to remain competitive in all sports and age groups, while also maintaining a level of sportsmanship and great attitudes. “Youth athletics is no different than any other level of athletics, it’s supposed to be fun, we want to have a competitive atmosphere, but these children need to be having fun while doing it,” he said.
During the Pleasant View Athletic Association’s August 5 board meeting, newly nominated board members took their positions: Daniel Smiley - President/Chairman; Wesley Fort – Treasurer; Clint Ferrell - Baseball Director; Brittany Smiley - Baseball Director of Operations; Raymond Jennette - Softball Director; and Courtney Ferrell - Softball Director of Operations.
For more information about the PVAA, visit their website at www.pvball.org.