Fresh fences. Fresh turf. Fresh grass. APS athletics has received a major upgrade in the form of a brand new baseball field at each high school, courtesy of the Braves Hank Aaron Foundation. A whole new turf infield was put in, complete with fences and bullpens. Naturally, the Diamond Dubs are eager to begin playing on it. However, there’s a catch. APS policy prohibits any activity on the turf until the official ribbon cutting. Not a problem right? Wrong. The Dubs are last in line for the ceremony, which takes place on February 6th — the season opener is on the 9th and tryouts were on the 19th. This means that the baseball team must practice for 17 days without a field.
For Morgan McCaffery, a senior at North Atlanta, the delay in using the new field has been very frustrating. Practicing at Lakepoint means long bus rides, late nights, and not enough practice time. The team spends around 45 minutes each way traveling, leaving little time to actually focus on baseball. With the season just about to start, it’s tough to prepare without a true feel for what the field will be like. “We’ve been practicing at Lakepoint, but it’s hard to get into a good rhythm without being on our home turf,” he said.
For Holden Frazier, a sophomore, the lack of access to the new field feels like a huge setback. Practices way up north take up most of the day, and with the addition of Atlanta traffic, it’s hard to enjoy the process of starting the new season, as most of it is spent on a big yellow bus. He and his teammates were forced to adjust to this style of practice, but without using the field he’s comfortable with, it’s been difficult to focus on improving. “All turf is a little different, so it’s tough to know what to expect when you’ve never actually played on your own,” Frazier said.
Courtney Ward, the head JV coach and assistant varsity coach, recognizes the frustration of both players and parents. Even he said he doesn’t understand why the team can’t use the field, but remains focused on the team’s success. While using the practice facility has been a fine substitute, he said, it is clear that the lack of practice on the new turf is a severe obstacle. However, Coach Ward encourages players to keep grinding and ignore the preseason blunders. “We’ve been making the best of it, but I know once we’re on that field, everything will start to click,” Coach said.
Whether up north, on the road, or in a basketball gym, the Dubs are determined to make the most of every opportunity. Already starting off the season overcoming challenges, the teams are excited for a new home turf when the season kicks off.
