Organized sports can be an integral part in a child's life, but some kids in Cochrane didn't have an opportunity to play this year due to a lack of sports amenities.

Cochrane Minor Ball closed registration early this year as there was not enough room to accommodate all the kids that wanted to play baseball or softball.

Cochrane currently has 11 Ball diamonds, however, Elliot Searle, Cochrane Crush East coach, says at the rate the sport is growing that isn't enough.

"Registration has grown 30% from last year, the unfortunate part is that the town just does not have the diamonds to support the number of kids that want to play baseball now."

Searle adds, it is not only baseball that has the issue.

"That goes for a lot of sports facilities, that's a problem with soccer as well."

Searle shares his disappointment that Cochrane Minor Ball had to turn away some kids this year because the lack of diamonds.

"The saddest thing is that we had to close registration early because we just couldn't accommodate everybody. I'm running into parents all over the place that are very upset because they couldn't get their son or daughter into baseball, or softball this year."

He says there's no excuse for the lack of diamonds, adding there is lots of space in town to put up new sports facilities.

"We just keep developing the town, handing out permit after permit to developers, and they build these monstrous neighbourhoods. They just don't include enough ball diamonds to support the number of kids that want to play."

Searle believes a new quad diamond or something similar would allow every child in town to play baseball or softball.

The Town of Cochrane created the Open Space Master Plan in 2012 to combat this current issue. Suzanne Gaida, Senior Manager, Community Services, says the town spoke with minor sports groups about needs, compared themselves to other municipalities, and identified where Cochrane was short.

"We identified that we need to build an athletic park," she says. "It signals that in 2017 we would actually have to purchase land, or look at a place where we could put a congregated park for athletics." 

The plan states 4 additional ball diamonds (adult sized) are required to address the shortage. Ideally, a quad should be built to provide tournament opportunities in the athletic park. 

Gaida adds two new schools being built in town will increase space for sports.

"The new RancheView school in Sunset will have a new baseball diamond and soccer pitch, the next school is Fireside, we're working with them on putting those amenities in there."