In baseball and life, the best things happen at home, or so the saying goes. In Mathiston that means volunteers coming together to partner with the town to provide the best possible sports facilities for local kids.
The Mathiston Sportsplex sits on Highway 15, just south of the new town hall and within walking distance of the Mathiston Park. A row of new homes can be seen to the east of the fields, a testament to the growth the town is experiencing.
Alderman Lavelle McAlpin said the town is trying to make improvements and this is just one example of them.
“We are excited to see it coming along,” McAlpin says as he surveys the volunteers putting up a new fence along one of the fields. “We provide funds for some of the work but most of our labor is volunteer and that’s one of the things that makes Mathiston special,” he adds.
The vacant fields will soon be filled with the excitement of children donning new uniforms and taking practice swings. Sunshine is helping standing water evaporate and grass is already growing.
Vince Tenhet of the Mathiston Youth Association said the number of participants in the program is nearing 250. Starting at ages 3 and 4, youngsters can play Buddy Ball, which involves a parent being on the field with their child. Teams progress to T-ball and on to softball and a baseball, up to age 12.
The program draws countywide interest. Parents and families of those kids make up the majority of the volunteers who work on the fields. An unusually wet spring has been a setback to progress, but they are determined to be ready for the season. Tenhet himself has three boys who will participate, and he says he recognizes the fact that it’s his turn to support and improve the program. Other parents follow suit.
On the two existing fields adjacent to the concession stand, new block and brick backstops are in place. Two completely new fields will be built on the other side of the concession stand, forming a quad-style layout.
“We hope to have one of the new fields completed by baseball season and the other completed before the following ball season. New fences will be put up on existing fields as soon as possible and we plan to do some much needed work on existing fields before the season starts,” Tenhet said.
The field is also used for flag football in the fall.
