The Madison baseball team has played on the worst field for as long as I can remember. This year Shawn got talking to the assistant varsity coach, Shayne Proctor, and they decided to spearhead the BIG project of redoing the field. They are supposed to be getting a new one sometime in the future, but with budget cuts it's not looking to good. They decided to approach local business's to help with the cost, which is running right around $15,000. for what they want to do. They want to replace the backstop & fencing on each side of the backstop, dig up & re-sod the whole infield & around the dug outs, clean up the warning strip, bring in diamond dust (a high end product that costs lots of money, that I thought had something to do with the real deal (DIAMONDS), I didn't put 2 & 2 together -baseball diamond- total blond moment), for around the bases and backstops & some other cosmetic things such as painting the bleachers. They set the start date for last Saturday the 7th of May, with the intention of working on it all week and laying sod yesterday the 14th. The sod needs to be ready so they can play their 1st legion game on it in June. Everyone is supposed to be getting financial donations, but as far as I know the only person that has done that is Shawn. I think to date he has gotten around $10,000. They have also been able to get the concrete for the backstop donated. Shawn & Shade along with some of the other parents and players spent every night last week until about 10:00 pm getting it leveled & sprinklers in so that it would be ready for sod. They got all of the sod installed in the infield yesterday and the sprinklers working. I asked one of the boys why he wasn't at the dance and he replied "because I've got to help here laying sod". He definitely has his priorities in place. The field looks amazing, Shawn spent hours trying to get it perfectly level. This next week they will work on getting the backstop up and the rest of the sod laid. The kids are so proud of what they accomplished and it was so fun watching them work as a TEAM. I don't think there is a better way to bring a team together and than a project like this. This is definitely a field they can be proud of.
Drew Arnold & Spencer Ward digging out the bull pen.
Shawn showing Shade & Josh Lords what needs to be done to take down the backstop.
Cutting & rolling the sod for removal.
Will Evens, Spencer Ward & Hayden Erickson rolling sod.
Everyone got in on the sod cutting.
Installing the diamond dust on the bases. One of the most exciting parts.
Drew Arnold, Coach Luke Mecham & Phil Crane working to make it PERFECT.
The FIELD with all the sod in & the sprinklers going. Look at that pitching mound.
Laying the sod took TEAM work to get it just perfect.
Shade making the bases perfect.
Drew Arnold helping Shawn unroll the sod.
MAN, that's a lot of HARD work!!!! Just beautiful and masterfully done! Heard the BEST COMPLIMENT this morning as Bob and I were walking. He said Rodger and Lane gave SHAWN the most amazing compliments over doing SUCH AN AMAZING JOB on the field. They couldn't pay enough COMPLIMENTS on this job! GOOD JOB, guys.
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