Gimme 5: Park District's Mike DeButch Helps Develop Community Programs

Mike DeButch is the assistant superintendent and heads all of the athletic programs at the Chicago Heights Park District.

To say DeButch knows the area would be accurate as he grew up in Chicago Heights. He attended Washington Middle School and Bloom High School before attending Bradley University. He played baseball for the Braves.

"After college, I was fortunate enough to get drafted by the San Diego Padres," DeButch said. "I was in the minor league system for a few years, but injuries ended my career before making it to the big leagues."

During the baseball season, DeButch takes pride in taking care of all of the Chicago Heights Park District fields himself.

"I do take a lot of pride in making the fields look nice," he said.  "If you look, you will see how nice they are and that is kind of the approach we take here at the park district."

DeButch feels his greatest challenge is developing new programs and getting enough people and finances to support them. In the year ahead, he hopes to continue to add more programs and get more involvement from the community.

"I would like grow the programs we have and add new ones," DeButch said. "If they fail, we will just move on and try new ones."

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