On Saturday, June 22, the City of Vernon, City of Maywood, Southeast Rio-Vista Family YMCA, and the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation gathered at the Maywood Park Dreamfield for a Mayor’s Play Ball event that included a free Dodgers Academy clinic for kids 8-17 and the unveiling of a Dreamfield plaque, a gift from the City of Vernon to commemorate the field and its significance to Southeast Los Angeles area communities. 

“Sports provide a wonderful opportunity for youth to learn and grow, practicing skills like teamwork, leadership, and working hard to achieve a common goal,” said City of Vernon Mayor Judith Merlo. “I’m grateful the revitalized green space has helped bring families together, providing a hub where we can all gather, exercise and play.”

The event served as the kickoff for Opening Day of the summer baseball season for the YMCA Dodgers Dreamteam youth athletes. Over 150 youth participated in the Dodgers Academy clinic where they learned new baseball skills and practiced fundamentals like throwing, catching, hitting, and fielding. The Dodgers Academy also provided each youth participant two Dodgers tickets to an upcoming game. 

The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation builds Dodgers Dreamfields to give families in neighborhoods across Los Angeles safe havens and points of pride. The Maywood Park Dodgers Dreamfield was a $600,000+ project that opened in 2022. Refurbishments have included new playing surfaces and grass, an enclosed field, upgraded dugouts, upgraded irrigation systems, new pitcher’s mounds, bullpens, and an LED scoreboard resembling the iconic display at Dodgers Stadium. 

An official press release was distributed to local media outlets to share information about the exciting events happening in the Southeast Los Angeles area!