Oakland Field of Dreams
"Rickey Henderson Field"
- HomeOakland Field of Dreams (OFOD), organized in April 2009, is a tax-exempt California nonprofit public benefit corporation under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. OFOD was established to help (1) maintain and improve Oakland Technical High School’s new home baseball field, Rickey Henderson Field, (2) support Tech baseball/softball and surrounding neighborhood youth sports programs (including at-risk youth) and (3) revive Oakland’s longstanding tradition of inner-city youth baseball and softball. Rickey Henderson Field was built in 2007-2008 (as the former Carter Field) by Tech parents and community members through an extraordinary grassroots, volunteer effort. Approximately $350,000 in cash and in-kind donations were raised, along with ‘sweat equity’—countless hours of grueling, hands-on field work by scores of dedicated volunteers of all ages, including Tech ballplayers. It’s not only the new home baseball field for the Oakland Tech Bulldogs, it’s also an invaluable asset for local youth leagues, including North Oakland/South Oakland Little League, Oakland Cal Ripken-Babe Ruth Baseball League, the Metropolitan Junior Baseball Team and American Legion Baseball. Tech’s ‘Field of Dreams’ is now a reality and still a work in progress. In addition to ongoing maintenance and repair, a long wish-list of planned improvements and enhancements include: Electronic scoreboard Finished warning…
- Our StoryBackground For as long as anyone could remember, Oakland Technical High School (Tech) did not have a convenient, home baseball field. In order to play or practice, the team had to travel over a mile and a half to a city field in poor condition. In 2006, an unexpected opportunity arose when the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) decommissioned a nearby North Oakland school (the former Carter Middle School), freeing up a large former playground. Soon after, an informal, all-volunteer, community based group of involved parents, community leaders and neighborhood supporters formed the Field of Dreams Committee (FODC). FODC’s primary mission was to transform a long-neglected, mostly asphalt playground into baseball and softball/youth baseball fields. This grass-roots community effort began because parents, residents and Tech alumni recognized the critical need for a baseball and softball field to serve the local community–particularly “at-risk” teens–and OUSD’s and the City of Oakland’s inability to devote funds for this purpose. The fundamental goals of the FODC were to (a) provide a nearby home baseball field for Tech and (b) effect positive neighborhood change by providing accessible, satisfactory baseball and softball playing fields for local community youth. Community Partnership Project FODC’s construction budget to facilitate…
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- OFOD CalendarIf you would like to reserve Rickey Henderson Field for a baseball game, please contact Coach Eric Clayton at fieldreservations@oaklandfieldofdreams.org. [HTML1]
- OT Baseball Schedule
- Photos-VideoBefore: Carter Field (photos by Phil Williams) [nggallery id=1] Under Construction (photos by Phil Williams) [nggallery id=2] The Field Takes Shape (photos by Phil Williams) [nggallery id=3] Play Ball: May 13, 2008 [nggallery id=5] Rickey Henderson Field Dedication: October 3, 2009 (photos by Tom Low) [nggallery id=4]
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