Students from the Dierker's Champs program assist in the groundbreaking ceremony May 1. (Danica Lloyd/Community Impact)
Students from the Dierker's Champs program assist in the groundbreaking ceremony May 1. (Danica Lloyd/Community Impact)
Officials marked the start of construction on the Cy-Hope Youth Baseball Complex with a groundbreaking ceremony May 1.
The property is the future home of Dierker’s Champs, a program that allows hundreds of elementary and middle school students from low-income families to play baseball in a positive environment. Larry Dierker, former Houston Astros All-Star pitcher, announcer and manager, oversees the Cy-Hope program.Officials celebrated the start of construction on the Cy-Hope Youth Baseball Complex on May 1. (Danica Lloyd/Community Impact)“The progress they're making is not only becoming better ballplayers but becoming more accountable, responsible, being a good teammate, ... so many of those values that we can learn in sports and apply later after we finish our education and are on to whatever we're going to do as an adult,” he said at the ceremony.
In case you missed it
Larry Dierker said the program held its first season in 2012 and has not had a permanent home during that time.
Community Impact reported in May 2022 Cy-Hope officials purchased 7 acres of surplus land from Cy-Fair ISD after construction of new district facilities took over the former site where games were held.Larry Dierker speaks at the May 1 groundbreaking ceremony for the Cy-Hope Youth Baseball Complex. (Danica Lloyd/Community Impact)Located off Windfern Road, the fields will be adjacent to the former Windfern High School.
Plans include:
Three turf baseball fields
LED lighting
A concessions stand
Restrooms
Batting cages
Paved parking
How it happened
With a $5 million price tag, the project has garnered support from several local individuals and organizations.
Additionally, The Houston Astros Foundation is committing $1.5 million to the project, and Energy Capital Credit Union was awarded naming rights following a multiyear sponsorship agreement with Cy-Hope worth $2 million.Lynda Dierker speaks at the May 1 groundbreaking ceremony for the Cy-Hope Youth Baseball Complex. (Danica Lloyd/Community Impact)“With a small investment today in the lives of kids, we can help prevent them from making poor choices in the future,” Cy-Hope Executive Director Lynda Dierker said May 1. “And in turn, we can save major dollars that we would otherwise spend later on. ... I mean, wouldn’t we rather invest today in a sports field than later on in prison cells?”
Danica joined Community Impact as a reporter in 2016. As an editor, she continues to cover local government, education, health care, real estate, business, development and other issues affecting the Cy-Fair community. Her experience prior to CI includes studying at the Washington Journalism Center in Washington, D.C., serving as editor-in-chief of Union University's student magazine and online newspaper, and reporting for other publications in Arkansas and Tennessee. She always has her nails painted and will never say no to ice cream.
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