Morgan Wallen, through his Morgan Wallen Foundation, along with Major League Baseball & MLB Players Association Youth Development Foundation (MLB-MLBPA YDF) and other local funders, partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Nashville to unveil the newly revitalized historic baseball and softball complex, Parkwood Community Club, in north Nashville on Wednesday (Aug. 13). The renovation project for the ballfields includes new field turf, Musco lights, fences, dugouts, scoreboards, parking, concrete and roadways for two youth fields.
The project has been a two-year-long effort following MWF’s $500k donation in 2023. This ballfield renovation is part of a broader community effort led by Habitat for Humanity, which encompasses the creation of a 59-acre Metro Park and the construction of 26 Habitat homes.
“Growing up, I spent countless hours out on the diamond. Those hours taught me life lessons I still hold close today and helped me realize the value baseball can have on youth,” said Wallen. “Being a part of this project and revitalizing these Parkwood fields – right here in Nashville – to ensure the kids have a place to play for many years to come is something I am really proud of.”
“Revitalizing these ballfields was a massive team effort led by Habitat for Humanity of Greater Nashville, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to see them in fighting form for hundreds of kids to enjoy and play ball. It’s a dream come true,” adds Kathleen Flaherty, Executive Director of MWF. “This was the foundation’s first field restoration grant and we couldn’t be happier with the results.”
To commemorate MWF’s donation, two of the fields have been named in Wallen’s honor: Boots Field, named after his Mamaw Boots, who he was extremely close to; and Norris Field, named for Norris Lake in Norris, Tennessee, where Wallen spent time growing up.
The Parkwood Community Club has produced notable athletes, including Mookie Betts and Golden Tate. It was the site of Nashville’s first integrated baseball games in the 1970s, and in the 1980s, Parkwood became Tennessee’s first athletic club to be owned and operated by a minority Board—one of only five in the U.S.
This year, the revitalized fields inspired three Parkwood teams to reach state competitions. Several teams competed in the Dixie Youth World Series, including The Parkwood All Stars, who placed third out of 42 teams.
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