SJC and Field of Dreams Baseball League Celebrate Expansion of Disability-Friendly Baseball Field

• 8 May 2025
• Category: SJC News Parks and Recreation
• Tags: 2025

$1.5 million project improves accessibility for players

On May 3, St. Johns County officials and staff joined members of the Field of Dreams (FOD) Baseball League to celebrate the start of work on a major expansion of Field of Dreams Baseball, the County’s disability-friendly baseball field at Aberdeen Park (1401 Shetland Drive, St. Johns). The Office of Public Affairs produced a video to commemorate the event.

The $1,513,800 project will see the baseball field’s existing parking lot expanded, and a new concession building with ADA-accessible restrooms will be added.

District 4 Commissioner and Board of County Commissioners Chair Krista Joseph, District 1 Commissioner Christian Whitehurst, District 2 Commissioner Sarah Arnold, and District 3 Commissioner Clay Murphy attended the ceremony, along with Sheriff Robert Hardwick and various St. Johns County administrators and staff. The ceremony was held on the field in between games, with players and their families present, ending in a series of first pitches between the commissioners and players.

“As an employee of St. Johns County, and particularly Parks and Recreation, for over 25 years, seeing this expansion just makes me ecstatic,” Parks and Recreation Assistant Director Jamie Baccari said. “Being able to support our partners in expanding recreational opportunities to youths in our community is exactly why I got into this field.”

“A mom and dad want their kids to feel welcomed, appreciated, and valued wherever we go,” Commissioner Whitehurst said. “The Field of Dreams is that place.”

The FOD Baseball League is a sustainable voluntary organization that provides a safe, ADA-certified facility where children of all ages with mental or physical disabilities can play baseball for free and be an active part of a thriving athletic association.

“The new ADA amenities will really help enhance the Field of Dreams into a premier destination for families and players who already travel from throughout Northeast Florida to our community for this opportunity, to play on this kind of a field,” Chair Joseph said. “Beyond the bats and balls, the hits and the hugs, the field represents hope for the players.”

“When we started this league in 2011, I never envisioned what we would build here,” FOD League Co-Founder George Vancore said. “The commissioners have really stepped up and realized what we have built out here and what we’re going to sustain over time.”

Vancore attributed the success and popularity of Field of Dreams Baseball to a strong partnership with the County.

“This is a very special place, but it doesn’t happen by magic,” Vancore said. “God bless these children—that’s why we’re here.”