Project EverGreen and others revitalize youth baseball field in Roxbury, Mass.

Project EverGreen, the ScottsMiracle-Gro’s “Keep It Real” initiative and members of the New England Sports Field Management Association (NE-SFMA) partnered to restore the baseball field at the Yawkey Boys and Girls Club of Roxbury, Mass.

The project marked Project EverGreen’s first GreenCare for Communities renovation in the city of Boston and transformed a well-loved but aging field into a safer, more functional and environmentally healthier green space for local families, aspiring athletes and neighborhood residents. 

NE-SFMA members volunteered a day’s work to improve the field. The revitalization of the field included a surveyed and reshaped infield, a new home plate, pitching rubber and bases, as well as improvements to outfield and infield drainage and fertilization. The revived green space highlights how similar projects can help communities by creating a safe space for connection and recreation.

“Great fields do more than support play, they help athletes perform safely and communities thrive,” said Tom Barry, CSFM of Greens Farms Academy and a NE-SFMA board director. “This project was a meaningful way for our members to give back, applying their professional expertise to create a field that Roxbury residents can enjoy and be proud of for generations.”

“Healthy green spaces create healthier communities,” said Cindy Code, executive director of Project EverGreen. “This renovation showcased the incredible generosity of the sports field management profession. Their commitment demonstrates how skilled professionals can make a lasting impact far beyond the facilities they manage every day.”

Since 2008, Project EverGreen’s GreenCare for Communities initiative has renovated parks and public green spaces totaling more than 200 million square feet of living green space nationwide.

ScottsMiracle-Gro’s “Keep it Real” initiative includes partnering with nonprofits to support accessibility to field-based activities for children and advocates for the benefits of green spaces. The initiative has supported more than 2,000 children nationwide by providing opportunities to play on natural turf fields.

“From reducing injuries with a softer, more forgiving surface to supporting overall well-being, real grass continues to outperform artificial turf where it matters most, which is why we’re investing in natural fields for the next generation through ‘Keep it Real’” said John Sass, senior vice president of the lawns business unit and chief creative officer at ScottsMiracle-Gro.