Charlotte youth sports outgrow existing fields

A version of the following article appeared in the August 3, 2026, edition of The Charlotte Ledger, an e-newsletter with local business-y news and insights for Charlotte, N.C.

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by Emily Brietz

For generations, putting on a baseball cap and running out of the dugout onto the diamond has been a rite of passage for many children.

But in parts of Charlotte, some families are hearing an unexpected answer when they try to sign up for T-ball or machine pitch: There isn't enough room.

Registration numbers at Dilworth Little League and Myers Park Trinity Little League have risen dramatically in the past five years, putting a major strain on their resources. 

The challenge reflects a broader issue across Mecklenburg County over the past few years. The Charlotte Ledger previously reported that county officials are struggling to acquire land for new athletic fields as development accelerates, available land dwindles and costs rise, leaving youth sports organizations competing for limited space. It’s an issue that’s only growing — and faster than the county or youth baseball leagues can keep up. 

The need for more baseball fields is mostly for younger kids, said Chris Pineno, president of Dilworth Youth Sports Association. Dilworth has added 20 Little League teams in the past five years to accommodate the influx. There were 16 machine pitch and 12 T-ball teams alone last season.

“Demand is up, supply is down and that has caused us to really feel those growing pains and look for ways to get access to new fields,” Pineno said. “But the reality is there are no fields to get access to.”

Initially, leagues were able to squeeze another player on a team or move a practice earlier to fit another one in before it gets dark. 

Rich Little, president of Myers Park Trinity, said to think of Little League registration like a nice restaurant: packed every night, reservation only. Maybe another table for two can fit in the corner by the kitchen, but suddenly it’s become loud, overcrowded and they're short on wait staff.

“Do you keep adding kids and reducing practices and sharing fields?” Little said. “What does that do to the quality of the experience?”

So, leagues begin looking for more fields to play on.

DYSA uses three fields off East Boulevard and Jim B. Whittington Field at Freedom Park, as well as locations farther away such as Sedgefield Middle School, Southview Recreation Center and Independence Park, but Pineno says it’s not enough.

The league says it has exhausted nearly every alternative, from partnering with churches and schools to sending teams to parks across Charlotte and doubling up practices on existing fields. Even if fields outside of the Dilworth area are available, parents may still have to drive 30 minutes in rush-hour traffic to make a 5:30 p.m. practice, Little said.

Pineno said Dilworth Youth Sports Association is moving to plan B: building its own fields.

That’s easier said than done in Charlotte, a city in dire need of green space and with other priorities for the limited land.

Over the past seven years, when Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation asks residents what green space they are looking for, the public requests dog parks, pickleball courts and mountain biking courses — not fields for children’s sports.

Kip Kiser, chair of the county’s Park and Rec Commission, said the 13-person commission has historically been unanimous in advocating for sports fields in Charlotte.

“We're not against whatever else,” he said. “We're just wanting balance and the recognition that [the issue] exists.”

DYSA financed a backstop, which Park and Rec has installed, along with bases for T-ball teams at Latta Park, down the hill from St. Patrick Catholic School. About seven years ago, DYSA also collaborated with Park Road Baptist to improve its field.

DYSA is hoping to build two small baseball fields at Madison Central Park, adjacent to Pinewood Elementary. The park is CMS property and has “an unusual amount of open space” and flat land perfect for a baseball field, Pineno said.

Pineno said CMS has indicated that it’s “open” to the plan and that DYSA has an agreement with CMS for the property, but it’s not clear yet what each group would contribute toward the project. If the fields are built, DYSA would not have to pay any rent for use of the field but would have to allow the schools priority in scheduling and pay for specialized maintenance. 

Phase one, Pineno said, is to build two skinned (all dirt) infields with backstops. Eventually, phase two would include adding a third field, permanent bathrooms, concession stands and an equipment room.

DYSA has received some pushback from the community about the potential disturbance to the neighborhood, but Pineno is working to quell the neighborhood’s anxieties and get them on board before any decisions are made. Once he gets more community support, a timeline for the new fields will be established, Pineno said. 

The fields would not have lights and would only be used by young children, meaning most games or practices would end around 7 p.m. Additionally, the baseball season spans five months each year — March through May and September through October. 

“What we've seen, certainly at Freedom Park and other locations, is that families want their kids to have access to these athletic programs and being close to them is potentially value enhancement to their house values,” Pineno said. “That could be a very valuable community amenity.” 

Emily Brietz is a summer intern for The Ledger. She is a rising junior at UNC Chapel Hill, double-majoring in media and journalism, and history with a concentration in U.S. studies. Reach her at [email protected].