One of the ValleyCats most important initiatives is to assist local youth leagues with the maintenance and upkeep of their fields throughout the spring and summer. Their mission is to provide the youth of the Capital Region with a safe place to play, learn, grow, and most importantly have fun!
Each spring, the ValleyCats and their community partners BlueShield of Northeastern New York and Hannaford Supermarkets select four youth ball fields to renovate as part of their 4 in 24 youth field renovation project!
Each Spring, the Community Grounds Crew kicks off the beginning of spring with the 4 in 24 project, where four youth ball fields are renovated in a 24-hour time period! The extent of the work includes new sod placed on the infield, rebuilding of the pitcher's mound and home plate areas, raking and grading of the infield dirt, cutting the baselines to the correct specifications, and more.
The ValleyCats began renovating youth baseball fields in 2003, right in their own backyard! Together with their grounds crew, the ValleyCats renovated South Troy Little League.
In 2004, they refurbished DeMercurio Field at Veterans Memorial Park, home of Albany's American Little League. The work completed at this park included rebuilding of the pitchers' mound and cutting of the baselines. In the spring of 2007, the ValleyCats restored the Watervliet Little League field. 2008 brought the renovation of Cohoes Little League's Berkley Park, in 2009 Lansingburgh Little League received the overhaul, and Brunswick Little League was renovated in 2010.
In 2011, the Tri-City ValleyCats embarked on their ambitious 4 in 24 project to renovate four local youth playing fields in a 24 hour time period! Check out the recaps below!
Click here for a full recap of the Inaugural '4 in 24' Field Renovation Project.
Click here for a full recap of the 2012 '4 in 24' Field Renovation Project.
Click here for a full recap of the 2013 '4 in 24' Field Renovation Project.
Click here for a full recap of the 2014 '4 in 24' Field Renovation Project.
2015: Cohoes Little League, Coxsackie-Athens Girls Softball, Hoosick Falls Youth Baseball, Niskayuna Baseball
Click here for a full recap of the 2015 '4 in 24' Field Renovation Project.
2016: Guilderland Little League, Mechanicville-Stillwater Little League, Nassau Baseball Association, Upstate Premier Baseball in Schenectady
Click here for a full recap of the 2016 '4 in 24' Field Renovation Project.
Click here for a full recap of the 2017 '4 in 24' Field Renovation Project.
Click here for a full recap of the 2018 '4 in 24' Field Renovation Project.
Click here for a full recap of the 2019 '4 in 24' Field Renovation Project.