VALLEY GRANDE — As the Valley Grande youth baseball leagues enter the second year where the teams have a place to call home, more things are being added to make sure every day at the ballpark is a pleasant one.

It’s the third year Valley Grande has had youth baseball teams, but this year marks the second year for the city’s three-field sports complex, and the city is continuing to build on the parks.

“Today was the first day we had the restrooms, the concession stand, it’s not quite through, but we could use it some, and everybody’s enjoyed that, too,” said Richard Davis, league director for Valley Grande’s Cal Ripken and Babe Ruth leagues.

Davis said the city built the fields and they’ve provided the children, and the community, with something to be proud of.

“It’s giving the kids out here something to do with their time,” Davis said. “It’s a tight community out here, they all stay together and everyone seems to be enjoying it. The parents are involved with helping keep the fields up. The city built them, but everything you see as far as the work done, the parents are doing.”

The volunteerism of parents and the community has helped the upkeep of the sports complex.

Davis said the fields are helping out the community’s youth in a number of different ways.

“They built it sort of as a multi-use sports complex,” Davis said. “They’re hoping to use it for Upward Football, they’ve got soccer up on the hill (at Valley Grande Baptist Church) and they’re wanting to play it down here some, and they’re using it for the church league Upward T-ball,” Davis said. “The community’s getting a lot more out of it.”

Davis said things such as lights for the fields, so games could be played at night to help avoid the heat, and the addition of scoreboards are some of the things that have been explored in terms of further improving on the fields.

Parents are enjoying the outlet that the fields provide for the children and the Valley Grande community.

“It lets them have extracurricular activities to do, they’re active, they’re staying out of trouble if they’re playing baseball and that’s how I feel about it,” said Jenny Criswell, whose son Joshua plays in the youth leagues. “The fields are great because we don’t have to travel as much. First year of the league, we never got to play at home, so it just makes it easier for the kids to get out and have fun.”

Criswell said additions like the concession stand only make a great asset even greater.

“I think that’s great and it benefits the community as well by bringing income in and things like that,” Criswell said. “I just think it’s a great asset to the fields.”

Hines Steele, whose son plays in the league, said the complex is a good, family-friendly environment for the youth of the community.

“Any time you can keep your kids involved in something where it’s good and clean where it’s family oriented, it’s always good for the kids,” Steele said. “The second year of the fields being here, they appear to be in good shape and they’re coming along. I know they added a concession stand, so that’ll benefit everyone out here at the ballpark. It looks like things are doing real well here.”