Baseball is considered “America’s Pastime,” but for a great majority of low-income youth in the United States, the cost to participate is prohibitive.
In one Chattanooga inner-city neighborhood, cost and opportunity are no longer an issue thanks to an organization and a group of volunteers who have transformed a forgotten field in Alton Park into a spot where kids can be introduced to the game and, if they choose, make it a part of their lives — without spending a dime.
Southside Youth Development was formed for that very purpose. Nowadays during baseball season, the field at Emma Wheeler Homes is often teeming with kids pitching, catching, throwing — and just being kids.
“He loves it,” Lisa Davenport said about her grandson Zion, who has played through Southside Youth Development since 2021. “I don’t have a father figure in his life, so the baseball team has been there to help him thrive and grow into himself.”
THE PURPOSE