Key Takeaways
- North Charleston partners with The Sandlot Initiative and Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation on $4.5 million youth sports complex in the city’s historically underinvested southern end
- City commits $1.25+ million toward regulation baseball field, 12-U softball field, and open-air training center on Carner Avenue
- All programming, equipment, and coaching will be offered free to community youth through Sandlot Initiative model
- Project uses Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation’s Youth Development Park framework, deployed in 100+ facilities nationwide
- Complex will serve Military Magnet Academy, which currently lacks baseball and softball fields
Partnership Brings Multi-Million Dollar Investment to Chicora
North Charleston is moving forward with plans to build new youth baseball and softball facilities in the Chicora neighborhood through a three-way partnership with The Sandlot Initiative and the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation. The $4.5 million project will include a lighted regulation baseball field, a 12-U softball field, and an open-air training center on Carner Avenue.
The city has committed more than $1.25 million to the development, with partners currently fundraising the remaining capital. The project timeline depends on when full funding is secured.
Andy Brusman, founder of The Sandlot Initiative, identified the site based on specific criteria: an underserved community lacking baseball infrastructure with easy access for youth. The location sits within walking and biking distance of several schools and residential areas.
Strategic Site Selection Addresses Multiple Community Needs
The fields will be built adjacent to infrastructure already serving the southern end of North Charleston. The North Charleston Senior Center opened in December 2024, and SC Ports is constructing the North Charleston Community Wellness Center as mitigation for the nearby Navy Base Intermodal Facility.
Military Magnet Academy, located directly behind the planned complex, currently has no baseball or softball fields. The new facilities will provide the magnet high school with dedicated athletic space while serving broader community needs.
The southern end of North Charleston has historically received less investment than other parts of the city. Recent community-focused projects, including the senior center and wellness center, have begun to shift resources to the area.
Free Programming Model Removes Financial Barriers
The Sandlot Initiative will operate programming at no cost to participants. This includes equipment, coaching, and field access for youth in the community. Brusman plans to hire experienced coaches to provide high-level instruction and create pathways for players to advance in the sport.
“This is our way of bridging that gap,” Brusman said regarding socioeconomic barriers in youth sports participation.
The project incorporates the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation’s Youth Development Park model, which extends beyond athletics. Scott Swinson, director of development with the Ripken Foundation, explained the organization’s National Youth Mentoring Initiative focuses on character development, teamwork, and communication.
“It’s not just the sports,” Swinson said. “We’re about developing these kids from the inside out and offering them opportunities to grow with their peers.”
The Ripken Foundation has deployed this framework in more than 100 parks across the country.
First Sandlot Initiative Project Sets Replication Framework
This marks the first project for The Sandlot Initiative. Brusman indicated the North Charleston development is designed as a blueprint for additional facilities in other communities throughout the region.
The Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation was started in 2001 by brothers Bill and Cal Ripken Jr., a National Baseball Hall of Fame member. Cal Ripken Sr. managed both sons on the Baltimore Orioles in 1987, making him the only father in Major League Baseball history to manage two sons on the same team. The brothers also founded Ripken Baseball, which operates camps, tournaments, and training at five locations, including one in Myrtle Beach.
via: Post and Courier
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