by Erin Edwards
When you pull up to Nickerson Gardens, you see something new: a bright, green diamond shining in the middle of the community.
For the kids who call this historic housing development home, Dodgers Dreamfield 68 isn’t just another baseball field — it’s a symbol of possibility, pride and a safe place to belong.
The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF), joined by partners Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) and Kershaw’s Challenge, unveiled the $1.1 million project on Sept. 20, alongside Dodger pitcher Evan Phillips, community leaders and families who will benefit most from the investment.
In addition to HACLA and Kershaw’s Challenge, Dodgers Dreamfield 68 was completed with the generous support of Bank of America, LA84 Foundation, Security Benefit, Leo and Carolina Cammilleri Family Foundation, Helen and Roger Ma, Mickey and Lee Segal Family Foundation and the Parra-Matthews Family.
The celebration brought music, smiles and a powerful sense of what it means when baseball is for everyone.
As families arrived, many paused to take in the fresh turf field the new fencing, and a solar-powered scoreboard that looks just like Dodger Stadium’s. The field stood ready — an open invitation for the next generation of players to chase ground balls, learn teamwork and build confidence in a space that belongs to them.
For Fernando Ibarra, a Nickerson Gardens parent who works with the Mayor’s Office GRYD Program and the Watts Labor Community Action Committee, the day carried deep meaning.
“It’s important for our kids, for all 50 of them here today, to be able to have this experience because they just didn’t have fields like this here,” Ibarra said. “This is theirs now, and to have the Dodgers coming to the inner city and giving back to the community is important. Our kids are playing, participating in the clinic, grabbing and throwing balls, doing the basic drills of baseball — if you look at them, they’re all smiling and laughing out there.”
Dodgers Dreamfield 68 is more than a place to play — it’s part of LADF’s larger vision to break down barriers and create safe havens in under-resourced communities. For kids ages 5–12 in Watts, it means having a high-quality field close to home where they can gather, stay active and build friendships in a safe and welcoming environment.
The field also advances HACLA’s revitalization of Nickerson Gardens, which includes new green spaces and recreational areas designed to strengthen community connections.
As HACLA President and CEO Lourdes Castro-Ramirez explained the vital aspect of communities having a place for physical activities.
“At the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, we’re the largest public provider of affordable housing. We believe that it’s very important to provide a stable, affordable foundation with home at the center, but we also believe that it’s important to create an enriched environment to ensure that each neighborhood has the amenities necessary to flourish,” Castro-Ramirez said. “This partnership with the Dodgers, this partnership with Kershaw’s Challenge, this partnership with this community, is about enriching the community and bringing those amenities that we all know every neighborhood deserves.”
With 68 Dodgers Dreamfields now complete, LADF is well on its way to reaching its ambitious goal of 75 by 2033 — each one being a lasting impact for Los Angeles.
Since 2003, more than 1.8 million youth and families have gained access to these fields, transforming empty lots and underused spaces into vibrant points of pride.
Nickerson Gardens now has a new centerpiece. For the young athletes who will lace up their cleats here for the first time, this field represents more than baseball — it represents opportunity, safety and hope.
To learn more about the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation and its mission to create a lasting impact for Los Angeles, visit Dodgers.com/LADF.
A Field of Dreams in Watts: Dodgers Dreamfield 68 at Nickerson Gardens was originally published in Dodger Insider on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.