In the inner city of Atlanta, it looks like there is a baseball diamond on every corner. There are definitely more fields in Atlanta than in the suburbs where I live. The fields are nicer in my neck of the woods, but we still have less.
In the suburbs, you won’t find marching bands practicing on the baseball fields. They aren’t used for parking during football games and it is a crime to practice your chip shot and walk your dogs. But when there are no programs to use the fields for the designed purpose, these things happen to baseball fields in the inner city.
Everything starts as new but it has to be maintained. I hear theories that baseball will experience resurgence in the black community if new fields are built. What we need to do is restore the fields that we have, maintain them and offer strong programs to put them to best use.
On Saturday, July 17th, L.E.A.D. will restore the baseball field at Perkerson Park with Georgia Sports Turf Management Association (GSTMA). The field will be restored by pros and will be just as immaculate as Turner Field. GSTMA will also train the L.E.A.D. coaches and parents on the proper way to maintain the field for sustainability.
L.E.A.D. will continue to offer its program to help inner city males access college using baseball. We have a proven track record; 83% of our Ambassadors have entered college with baseball scholarships and 100% have gone to college.
On July 17th, inner-city middle and high school baseball players will be able to have their cake and eat it too!
