The Pittsfield Youth Baseball Association (PYBA)
was recently awarded a grant in the amount
of $54,590 from the Baseball Tomorrow Fund (BTF).
The grant will support the renovation and
enlargement of Pittsfield Youth Athletic
Park and provide funding for a silt fence,
loam, infield mix, fencing and a backstop.
The three existing ball fields will be
elevated, regraded, and crowned so that huge
puddles of water will no longer collect on
the fields after rainstorms. A new ball
field for youth ages 13-16 will be installed
on the recently purchased adjacent property.
This will, for the first time, allow PYBA to
have its own baseball field with 90-foot
base paths on which to play at the Babe Ruth
level, as well as host regional tournaments.
Additionally, handicapped access walkways
will be installed and a parking lot will be
built away from the playing fields making
for a much safer park for both players and
spectators.
“This is a wonderful opportunity, not only
for our program, but for the children who
play the game,” said Steve Davis, President
of PYBA. “Without these funds, the
Association would struggle for years to make
the upgrades, which are an absolute
necessity. The grant will help make our big
dream for a small town become a reality.”
“The Baseball Tomorrow Fund appreciates
PYBA’s commitment to youth baseball and
softball in its community. We are pleased to
support the continued growth of this
program,” added Cathy Bradley, Executive
Director of the Baseball Tomorrow Fund.
Other major supporters of the project
include the Brown Engineering, Epsom Land
Clearing, the Foss Family Foundation, J.
Parker and Daughters, Frederick Nutter,
Public Service of New Hampshire, the
Pittsfield Rotary Club, The Sanderson Fund,
Carl Sherblum of Sunset Hill Design, and the
Women of Rotary. Dozens of local businesses,
industries and individuals have made
substantial donations as well. PYBA is still
accepting, and in need of, in-kind and
monetary contributions. Those interested in
donating to the project may contact Larry
Berkson at (603) 798-3984.
The Baseball
Tomorrow Fund is designed to promote and
enhance the growth of baseball throughout
the world by funding programs, field
improvements and equipment purchases to
encourage and maintain youth participation
in baseball and softball. Since its
inception in 1999, the Baseball Tomorrow
Fund has awarded grants totaling more than
$10 million, benefiting nearly 120,000 youth
participating in more than 250 youth
baseball and softball programs across the
U.S., Canada, Latin America and the
Caribbean, Europe and Asia. For more
information visit:
www.baseballtomorrowfund.com.
PYBA was incorporated 28 years ago by a
group of volunteers interested in providing
an opportunity for Pittsfield’s youth to
play baseball and softball. Beginning with
an old sandpit and field donated for use by
town luminary William Freese, first one, and
then two and finally three playing fields
were developed. Later, soccer was added to
the program, a concession stand erected and
a batting cage built. Today the Association
has over 100 volunteers helping 250 youth
ages 4-16 on 18 baseball and softball teams,
and nearly 200 youth on 15 soccer teams.
There are no paid staff members.