TLC for KiDS SPORTS

It was just over a year ago when kids from Eastridge Little League in San Jose were greeted with the sight of a brand new ballfield to kick off the season.  O.C. Jones & Sons completed the full renovation with the complete removal and reconstruction of the existing field, new irrigation, sod, infield, scoreboard, fencing, and associated work.  They also addressed the needs of the dugouts, bleachers, backstop, and more.  An adjacent unused lot was regraded and sodded to create a warm-up and practice area.  After the work was completed, the award winning project brought joy to an underserved neighborhood and a safer place to play for the children of the community.

So, how is the field holding up today?  The makeover of the field is proving to stand the test of time.  We caught up with Eastridge Little League President Jerry Soriano for an interview.

Looking back on the renovation that TLC for Kids Sports and OC Jones did for the field, how is it holding up today?

This is a 360 degree turn from what we had before.  We had ruts in the field and it needed constant irrigation, grass work and things like that.  Compared to what we had prior to the renovation, the field is in great shape.  You’re always going to have rodent problems, but not at the great percentage that we had previous to the renovation.  Everybody loved it that came there.  We scheduled games so that no division got more advantage and used it more than the other.  Of course, as a t-ball field, little kids get it first.

Has the field renovation affected the increase in the number of players or participation in the game?

Definitely!  Our girls program has risen because of this renovation.  Before, we didn’t have a girls division.   We were trying to advertise girls softball for a long time, although we didn’t have the facilities.  At that time, we had to deal with the city parks and they are under their own constraints.

Has the newly renovated field improved the safety of the children?  If so, how?

Yes, that’s the first thing that’s great about it.  Bad bounces, being what they are on a grass field, can inflict some physical harm, but we keep the surface very smooth and neat.  The new field is a whole lot safer than what we had before.

Can you provide an example of a kid whose life may have been changed or improved through sports?

You don’t find that out until later in life.  Our goal is to provide an opportunity for the kids to work on improving their skills.  We connect that with education, connect it to building self-esteem, responsibility, teamwork, and the ingredients that make a kid want to participate in his local community as a better person, especially at the elementary, junior high, and high school levels.  The greatest experience that I’ve had is seeing a kid, maybe 20 years later, who is now a teacher,  a police officer, or has excelled in another way and  comes back to recognize the little league for contributing in his life, where there was once a void.

On the NBC news story you said that “there’s that sense of wonder that a great field presents image-wise to a child” – Do you think that the newly renovated field has affected the self-image of the children that are playing on the field?  If so, how?

When you’re talking about a sense of wonder, when a child’s expectations are elevated under the influence of something that is beautiful, that looks neat to them, that he can share with other players, it makes them feel a lot better about themselves, and about the community.  It’s their first impression of something that exists that’s good in their lives.

We’re very thankful for everything that OC Jones and TLC for Kids Sports have done for us!