Grounds

OYO Knows: Leave It Better Than You Found It

At OYO, we believe in the principle of “Leave it better than you found it,” which aligns with our guiding values of Respect, Life Lessons, and Character. Proper field care is essential to maintaining the quality of our facilities and creating a positive environment for everyone. By involving players and parents in field maintenance, we instill responsibility and teamwork, while ensuring our fields remain in top condition for future games.

Here’s how you can help maintain our baseball and softball fields:

• Baseball Fields (1-4, 10-11, 12-13): Use metal drag and rakes on base paths and the home plate circle, and large brooms and rakes on fields 10-11 and 14.

• Softball Fields (5-9): Use large brooms and rakes to keep the fields tidy.

• Proper Raking: Always rake away from the grass edges and never pull field mix toward the grass.

• Tidy Up: After using equipment like chalkers, rakes, brooms, and batter’s box templates, return them to the sheds and clean out dugouts, removing all trash and equipment.

• Respect the Grounds: Please refrain from hopping the fences and always leave the area in better condition than you found it.

For a detailed guide on field care, check out our Field Care Guide and watch this helpful YouTube video for additional tips and techniques.

Your efforts go a long way in keeping our park “The Place” for baseball and softball. Thank you for helping us take care of our fields and creating a lasting, positive impact on our community!

Read more: Veterans Memorial Park →

OYO is fortunate to be able to call Veterans Memorial Park home to all its baseball and softball programs and activity. As part of our lease with the City of Lawrence, OYO is contractually obligated to make significant investments annually (or the equivalent to a sum total spanning its 10-year agreement with the city).

As a result, OYO is projected to make a minimum of $30,000 in capital improvements to the park each season. These improvements must involve only enhancements that would remain at Veterans Memorial Park if the league would ever vacate the premises (which we have absolutely zero intention of doing…it’s just the contract terminology!).

OYO remains all responsibility for making investments to improve the playing surfaces and surrounding areas around the park. Meanwhile, the City of Lawrence continues to provide support for all asphalt projects as well as upkeep of the existing brick-and-mortar structures (e.g. storage barn and concessions stands).

As a result, many of the improvements in the park have been noticeable of late including:

• Higher fence backstops to keep more foul balls in the field of play and away from fans

• Shorter outfield fence lines on softball fields for more consistency

• Upgraded field conditions, including sod replacement and more dirt on fields for better playing conditions

• Additional warm-up areas for pitchers

• Improved light fixtures on Fields 2, 6, 13

OYO operates within a 40-acre park provided by the City of Lawrence. The park encompasses 14 fields, three batting cages, two full-service concession stands with restrooms, one storage facility and general common areas along the walkways – all of which OYO maintains.

(The park also includes two playgrounds and a picnic shelter, which the City of Lawrence maintains.)

While OYO taps into the services of a paid Facilities and Grounds Manager, who reports to the OYO Executive Board, to carry out day-to-day duties, those efforts are complemented by volunteer efforts from our parents and families at key junctures throughout the year.

The Facilities and Grounds manager serves as a daily liaison to the City of Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department staff for facility upkeep and maintenance matters. In addition, this key role oversees all concession stand operations and planning, maintains field conditions and quality of park/surrounding property, and manages all external vendors and services. Where possible, additional services are rendered by a volunteer grounds crew.

Meanwhile, OYO coaches, parents and families are able to assist these efforts with properly raking fields following each practice and game, disposing of trash from dugouts and bleacher areas and reporting where timely improvements are needed for player or fan safety.

OYO operates within a 40-acre park provided by the City of Lawrence. Veterans Memorial Park encompasses 14 fields, three batting cages, two full-service concession stands with restrooms, one storage facility and general common areas along the walkways – all of which OYO maintains. If you have any questions about the facility – or repairs that may be needed – please send an email to oyoconcessions@att.net.

The park also includes two playgrounds and a picnic shelter, which the City of Lawrence maintains. For questions or reservations regarding either of these amenities, please send an email to dgee@cityoflawrence.org.