OKEECHOBEE – A baseball field at the county sports complex will honor a longtime coach.

At the July 13 meeting of the Okeechobee County Commission, the board unanimously voted to change the name of Baseball Field #1 at the Darrell Enfinger Sports Complex to “The Coach Tony Chapman Memorial Baseball Field."

“Anthony Chapman, who passed on March 18, 2020, was known to most in the community as Coach Tony or Coach Chapman, retired from employment with the Board of County Commissioners after 38 years of service in the Roads Maintenance Department as an Equipment Operator III on August 27, 2013,” said Community Service Director Denise Whitehead.

“Aside from his dedication to the community through his employment with the county, Coach Tony also served for 10 years as a volunteer firefighter, coached four generations of youth baseball, two generations of youth football, as well as some girls softball teams. In fact, Mr. Chapman’s involvement in our county goes all the way back to his childhood when he participated in karate programs in Okeechobee Teen Town,” she added.

“According to his family, Coach Tony believed in keeping kids off the streets and active in sports to help them stay out of trouble. He would pick up kids himself to make sure they could get to or from practice if parents were unable. His involvement went beyond coaching as he also volunteered and served in board positions within the Okeechobee Citizens Recreation Association (OCRA).”

“This is the least we could do,” said Commissioner Terry Burroughs.

Commission Chairman David Hazellief added they should also put a plaque on the road grader.