Last year, the Hempfield Youth Association (HYA) launched an initiative to improve the baseball fields located in the community. Establishing a regular maintenance schedule has been on the organization's agenda for a couple years, but its board members wanted to diversify the fields in addition to making repairs. After applying for several grants, HYA received the necessary resources to begin the process of transforming sandlots into baseball diamonds.

Because HYA does not own the land that its fields are located on, the next step of the process was to approach property owners and ask for permission to begin construction. In August, the organization turned its attention to the Hempfield Fire Department's baseball field, which is located on West Main Street in Landisville. "The fire department has been very accommodating and a great partner to us," said Eli Cox, travel baseball coordinator for HYA. "We showed them the plans, and we were able to get to work right away."

The organization enlisted the help of volunteers and local contractors to make several improvements, such as replacing the field's backstop. The old backstop was beginning to lean, prompting concerns that it wouldn't be effective in preventing baseballs from being hit onto the train tracks that run directly behind the field. The field's shed was swapped with a larger one to allow for more storage capacity, and an additional backstop was placed for two pitching lanes. Workers are currently erecting a homerun fence around the field, and HYA estimates that the project will be finished by the end of this season.

As HYA continues its improvement of the Hempfield Fire Department field, it has started renovations at various other sandlots in the area. The organization hopes to add dugouts and homerun fences to multiple locations, and it has already re-edged a few fields that were in need of attention. In Rohrerstown, HYA restored two overgrown fields to allow its teams to hold practices and games there.

"Being on a well-kept field gives the kids more pride for where they're playing," Cox said. "We also want to allow the players to have unique experiences as they move through the program. Some fields have dugouts and some have homerun fences. Each one could be different."

Once HYA completes its renovation project, it plans to obtain new fields to support its growing number of players. The organization contacted East Hempfield Township to request a development plan for a vacant property on Nolt Road and Church Street. The township approved a plan last month, allowing HYA to apply for future grants to support the construction of multiple sports fields on the land.

HYA's number of players is the highest it's been since 2009, and Cox attributes the growth to the efforts of individuals in the organization to build a strong foundation for the baseball program. HYA's intramural baseball coordinator, Tim Whitmer, has worked to establish his league, and the organization's baseball committee recently doubled its number of members. "We're really excited to be doing good things for the baseball community, and we're excited about the support we've received," Cox said.

For more information, search for "Hempfield Youth Association Baseball" on Facebook.