Durham Bulls Youth Athletic League

DURHAM BULLS YOUTH ATHLETIC LEAGUE - Mission/History

The Durham Bulls Youth Athletic League began in 1997 as the Bull City Baseball Association -  a merger between the South Durham Youth Athletic League and the Durham Bulls Baseball League. This merger was an effort to combine both organization's missions to provide recreational opportunities to Durham's inner city youth, many of which were Latino and African American.  In keeping with the growing efforts of the City of Durham in becoming a more positively diverse city in which to live, work and play, DBYAL now serves the increasing diverse population of the city.

DBYAL not only provides appropriate uniforms and equipment for the sports of baseball and soccer, assists in player registrations, plan for team pictures and end of season celebrations; it, more importantly, provides a great opportunity for all youth including those who are "at risk" while teaching youth about leadership, teamwork, winning and losing--with dignity and respect for self and others. The DBYAL provides a positive alternative from the negative behaviors so prevalent in today's society and builds positive life-skills and character traits.

DBYAL has become known in the area of youth baseball, with the expansion of serving 200 youth in the mid 90's to now serving over a 450 youth. Youth baseball games have been played at city and public school baseball fields around the City of Durham.

Through a class initiated project, Adam Grossman and Jared Weinstein, Duke University students, gave their assistance to the league by fundraising $350,000 through different organizations including Baseball Tomorrow, and with this money enabled the renovation of two inner city baseball fields. From their efforts as of 2004, the DBYAL found a home at LONG MEADOW PARK.....the FIELD OF DREAMS!

In 1995, a collaboration between the Durham Housing Authority, Durham Parks and Recreation and the Durham Bulls added soccer as another sports opportunity to the youth of Durham. Games were played on several public school field throughout the city and in 1998, with youth players totalling 250-275 boys and girls, the league began to host games at the Shepard Middle School. The DBYAL 's goal is now to select a soccer hub for this league in the city. Sites being considered are areas of East Durham or the Eastway Elementary School, two areas of the city which are highly populated by the Latino community and are also high crime areas. Youth sports in these areas would be a positive alternative and deterrent to crime. Additionally, the re-modelling of existing soccer fields to include lights for night games would also afford a better quality of play.

The Durham Bulls Youth Athletic League is a 501 3c tax exempt charitable organization which functions with an elected Board which includes representatives from various agencies and businesses including the League’s major sponsor, The Durham Bulls.  Fundraising for the league includes offering three levels of  sponsorship to area businesses to assist in sustaining the DBYAL Program and for on-going field maintenance of the baseball complex of Long Meadow Park.

The future of DBYAL , with its expansion of leagues in both baseball and soccer, fall and spring seasons remains bright. The outreach to youth all over the city is wide and far reaching and with the help of sponsors and supporters, DBYAL can continue to provide positive alternatives for youth for years to come.