Fields were revolutionized in the mid-1990's and a race to build premium wheelchair softball facilities began. Many teams and cities would follow suit and work to build bigger and better fields in their areas.

Wheelchair Softball Complex - Pasadena, Texas
In the mid-1990's The Texas Stars worked with the City of Pasadena - a suburb of Houston, Texas, and revolutionized the game with the construction of a wheelchair softball complex housing two state-of-the-art fields separated by a stand alone facility for wheelchair sports. 

The surface of both fields was painted to represent grass, an infield, and a warning track complete with permanent fencing.  Field 1 was designed as a small stadium with dugouts, stands, concessions, lights and an electronic scoreboard in the outfield. Other cities soon followed suit.

Rhodes Park - Columbus, Ohio
The Columbus Pioneers, in conjunction with the PVA Buckeye Chapter, Ohio Wheelchair Sports Association negotiated a deal with Columbus Recreation and Parks to create a state-of-the art field featuring painted surface and permanent fencing. Rhodes Park played host the 25th anniversary and most recently, the 29th National Wheelchair Softball Tournament in August of last year.

Bulova Park - Queens, New York
In 1999, the United Spinal Association worked with NYC Parks and Recreation Department to build a permanent wheelchair softball field as part of the City's plan to build a small park in an area adjacent to the old Bulova Watch Building. The entire park is surrounded by a 30' fence which holds a wheelchair softball field, basketball courts, picnic tables and a playground for children.

Brockton VA - Brockton, Mass.
In 1998, the New England PVA worked with the Brockton VA Medical Facility to construct a wheelchair ball park in a courtyard of the facility. The field was completed with permanent fencing, dugouts, stands and a storage unit. To enter the field, one must drive though a narrow gateway which opens up into a large courtyard housing the field while giving the impression of being inside a Roman coliseum.

Rockdale Park- Baltimore, Maryland
Constructed in the early 2000's, this field is very much like Rhodes Park in Columbus minus the painted field. The complex hosts one of the most accessible facilities in the country and is home to the Maryland Metro Stars and Baltimore's League of Dreams Children's Baseball League for children with developmental disabilities.

Spirit Field - St. Louis, Missouri
The Cardinals Care Organization contributed over $300,000 to build a state-of-the-art wheelchair softball field in Spanish Lake Park in 2002. Spirit Field is the home of the first solar powered scoreboard in the United States.

California Park, Chicago, Illinois
Built in the summer of 2003, California Park is a state-of-the-art facility built by the RIC Cubs, Cubs Care, The Baseball Tomorrow Fund and the Chicago Park District. It is one of a handful of parks in the country of its kind.



 

Bald Hill Farmingville, New York
The Brookhaven Ducks wheelchair softball team has a new home field, the first on Long Island created specifically for that sport. The Ball Field at Bald Hill was officially dedicated Sept. 24 with a ceremony that featured State Sen. John Flanagan, who helped appropriate a $150,000 state grant to build the field, according to John Cortez, general manager of the Ducks and supervisor of the town's Wheelchair Athletic Program. The field is specifically designed for wheelchair softball only, Cortez said, adding that it is painted to look exactly like a ball field and complies with the NWSA rules and regulations.