I had the opportunity tonight to offer the opening prayer at "A Night Under the Stars," the annual…read moregala raising funds for League of Miracles. League of Miracles is a sports complex designed specifically for children with disabilities and their families to participate in recreational opportunities. They are a non-profit organization governed by a board of directors. Located 3 miles east of Mooresville, they draw participating children and teens from several counties. During the Fall and Summer of each year, they operate a baseball league. Other times, they can be found sponsoring kickball. During the pandemic, they even did what they could and offered virtual activities. The baseball field is made entirely of rubber - this allows individuals in wheelchairs and who use walkers to round the bases safely. They also have a 40-foot by 60-foot building that is equipped with a large air-conditioned community room, a concession stand, and four fully ADA accessible restrooms (trust me, this is rare at a baseball diamond). They have ample parking and quite a few accessible parking spots. During tonight's gala, they were recognizing a young man who'd raised enough money to get an actual scoreboard installed. They have a goal of increasing their sports opportunities and to also transition into allowing adults to play. They have a special relationship with veterans groups and would love to get to a point of offering activities in adaptive sports for vets. Tonight's speaker was an Iraq War Veteran who became a double amputee after a bombing. They also have a relationship with nearby Damar Services. Many of the players have "buddies" and area high school students are known to get involved. They offer sponsorship opportunities for buddies, teams, the backstop sign, the outfield banners, a celebration sponsor, and an MVP sponsorship. I was super impressed with this organization tonight and with the dedication of its executive director and volunteers. I appreciated that they had a couple of the kids speak and they really spoke to strengths while also acknowledging disabilities. I even ran into the co-owner of my very first employer (I was awful, but it was a good learning experience). That made an already special night even more special.

The softball complex has 3 fields. The fields are ok. They could work for a rec league. There is…read morelots of parking available here in their private lot. The fields have dugouts and some nice picnic table areas between them. The are lighted and better than average. The complex is named after Chuck Klein AKA the Hoosier Hammer. Klein played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and Pittsburgh Pirates and led the National League in home runs four times, and won the NL Most Valuable Player Award in 1932. What you may not know is that there is a football field buried behind the softball fields, hence its real name, Chuck Klein Sports Complex. The football field needed a good mowing when I was there and the goal post are adequate. They will get the job done. I really like the patio area in the complex building that is up high and overlooks the fields. There are tables and chairs up there. At the front of the complex, near the entrance is a shelter with picnic tables. Next to the shelter is a horseshoe pit that has seen better days. In addition to that, there is some huge green space surrounding the shelter. You can do a lot of outdoor activities there. So, you do not need to actually be playing an organized sport to enjoy the park. This is a nice place to host a softball tournament or league. They have also hosted rugby, cricket and ultimate frisbee. I visited the park off season, and they were still working on the complex's maintenance. The staff here is awesome as well.

I spend my Wednesday nights here during the summer with my work softball team. It's a pretty nice…read morecomplex, the fields are well-manicured. One of them dips pretty severely in center field so that's a bit of a hazard. Last night we lost by a pretty large margin. I wish there was some rule that wouldn't allow teams to run up the score past 20. It's not fun at that point.

I visited Andy Mohr Field on the campus of Indiana University Bloomington for the first time last…read morenight. IU was playing a doubleheader vs Purdue. Really impressed with the facility. Easy to access, plenty of parking (although it was a bit tight due to a men's baseball game happening at the same time) and comfortable seating. The field itself is in beautiful shape. All in all, a really nice place to take in a Big Ten softball game. I think the only downside for me was the loud music that was played during the break between the two games. I love music, but this was turned up way too loud for the size of this ballpark. It made it difficult to talk to friends sitting right next to us. Looking forward to taking in more IU Softball before the season ends, plus IU will host the Big Ten softball tournament this year, so bonus softball!

This is a very nice field. I was in town to cover the Indiana University Ohio State softball game…read morefor the weekend. The stadium is very nice and the staff are all friendly and it's very roomy and there is not a bad seat in the House.

We've been here a few times to see some friends' softball games and the facility was very nice and…read morewell kept. Their food was very good as well. Their fries and pretzel were very good. They had plenty of salt and pepper packets, napkins, utensils readily available. Staff at the concession stand were very friendly and helpful as well. Parking wasn't too much of an issue either.

This is a very nice softball complex that is home to many Center Grove/Greenwood recreation leagues…read morefrom 4 to 18 year olds. It has been around since 1974. The complex has 10 lighted fields (with score boards) and a decent sized parking lot. There is also two batting cages, three covered pavilions with picnic tables and two restroom facilities there. The parking lot can get kind of full though, especial when there is a large tournament or in between games on rec league nights. Also, be carful, cars are zooming in and of the lot. There is a well stocked concession stand at the park with popcorn, candy, drinks, burgers.... The park is well maintained and a pretty clean. There are a few bleachers at each diamond, but I recommend bring your own chain so that you can be more comfortable as well as spread out a bit more. This is an excellent softball facility that provides opportunities for many girls. If you do visit here, please keep in mind that they do not allow pets.

We have been part of three travel baseball organizations and this one is the best we've been a part…read moreof. The development opportunities they provide are ahead of everywhere else we have been.

While kids were waiting their turn to play at the ball field up the street, this smaller field was…read moregoing unused. It has lights, dugouts, a small playground and a concession stand, but all sat idle. The park does look like it could use some clean up/maintenance (a large tree had fallen and was unattended to during my visit.) There is a gravel drive and a limited size parking lot on the property too. I assume the field is designed for Pee Wee League and therefore, a bit smaller than the other field in town. Still, it seems a shame that kids were waiting to play while a field went unused. Maybe the town could make some changes to this park to make it more flexible for multiple types of leagues. Review #2821

This park is mainly a series of softball fields east of Fishers. There are lots of fields and a…read morecentrally located playground and concession area. If you go on a day when there isn't a game, the parking looks endless along the main road that runs through the park. However, if you think about how many kids are involved in a single game and how many parents drive to watch them, you can see forty spots (probably more) for each field being used. With multiple games occurring at a time and with the "nose in" style parking, finding a place, dodging pedestrians who are carrying stadium seats and coolers, well, you can imagine it's tough finding a spot and tough backing out. Parking at the nearby school is an option, but carrying lots of equipment, back supports, and other items can get heavy. Review #2716

Olio Fields is a series of ball fields (softball, baseball) directly southest of Hamilton…read moreSoutheastern high school and falls in the jurisdiction of the Fishers parks department. The fields and dugout are well maintained and there are several batting cages you can use. Additionally there is an out building and playground. But oy parking...what a mess. In ball season...if you want to park near the fields forget it. It is a complete clusterbomb of cars wherever. Seriously bad planning on the part of the parks department. Presumably you can park at the high school and walk (maybe that was the intent?) but they rope off the soccer field just north and it's a bit of a hike. And I didn't see anyone walking from there...they were just trying to get situated closer to the fields. All in all...a nice entry to the parks department that is IMO packed in an area way too small for intended use.

On the southwest side of Greensburg, a pair of baseball diamonds were added between the fairgrounds…read moreand a local golf course. One of the fields is maintained in good condition with lighting, bleachers, a concession stand and restrooms. Parking is limited to a gravel lot. The second field to the south is one that has to be walked to since there is no road that heads back there. It doesn't have any of the amenities as the first field, so it is reasonable that it looks like it gets much use. In between the fields on the west side of the park are a few playground pieces (there is a small slide by the parking lot also). The playground has a slide, some swings, and a piece that spins. They seemed in okay condition but since there wasn't much wear on the lawn by the pieces, I doubt they get much use. This is a good spot for a game, but otherwise, there isn't much to attract visitors unless they like privacy. Review #2448

Highly recommend for baseball season and for the Park. The…read morePark is newer and kept very clean. There are plenty of places for parents to sit and watch the kiddos play at the park. Parking is easy. The ball diamonds are also kept clean and very well maintained. The snack stand is open whenever games are going on. The food is pretty good and reasonably priced for ballpark food. If you're coming to watch someone play ball, bring a chair. There isn't a ton of bleacher space. Bring an umbrella and sunscreen as there is no shade.

The Franciscan Trail is one of Central Indiana's newest trails having opened in April 2022 and the…read morefirst trail inside the Beech Grove city limits. Fully paved, the 2.2 mile trail has end points of S. 13th Avenue and S. Emerson Avenue/Hornet Avenue. There's free parking available at Sarah Bolton Park and Don Challis Park. If it's not obvious, the Franciscan Trail is a partnership between the city of Beech Grove and Franciscan Health. Franciscan Health is a longtime presence in the Beech Grove area. While St. Francis Hospital in Beech Grove is no more, Franciscan continues to have outpatient offices, IT offices, and home health offices in Beech Grove. As someone who is both a wheelchair user and an active trail user, the Franciscan Trail seemed like a great way for me to start off my 2023 Yelp reviews. The trail is 12' wide and considered wheelchair accessible. However, do note that there are some gentle inclines in places and those who don't handle inclines well may want to have a companion along. For those wheelchair users who are able to handle inclines and the usual trail terrain, the Franciscan Trail is an absolute delight. The trail winds along Lick Creek and Beech Creek and is quite scenic. I hesitate to use the word "urban" to describe the trail since Beech Grove is a smaller city, but it does go through the more urban parts of Beech Grove. A 1.1-mile second phase of the trail is already fully funded and expected to begin construction in 2024. It will pick up where the existing trail ends on Emerson Avenue. Because the trail is at times creek side, there is the risk of modest flooding during rainy periods. That said, the trail seems well designed and well cared for by the community. A trail has been a need in this area for quite some time and it's exciting to see it happen. Biking and walking are allowed on the trail. Wheelchairs are also encouraged. The usual trail rules apply. As Christina B. noted, this is not a looped trail and walkers should plan accordingly.

The Franciscan Trail just officially opened on April 15th and is the first greenway in Beech Grove…read more Part 2 is already in the works. The paved trail is 2.2 miles long and traverses between Sarah Bolton park and just past Don Challis park. It isn't a loop so be prepared to walk 2.2 miles back if you walk the full trail. We parked at Sarah Bolton park and walked just over 1/2 mile of the trail to check it out. The trailhead at the park features a map and the trail rules. The trail is freshly paved and boasts that it is pet friendly and handicap accessible. There are pet waste stations located every so often along the trail. Parts of the trail were a little hilly so I don't know just how accessible it would be but would probably vary by person. We didn't see them on this trip but I read that two officers patrol the trail on electric bicycles for safety. Even though it was in the city, it was super peaceful. We quickly entered into a woodsy area full of wildlife like birds and bunnies. The trail also runs along Lick Creek. We were there the morning after a thunderstorm so there was some flooding on parts of the trail, but it looked like some sort of drainage system was in the works. I'm looking forward to coming back to walk the full trail soon.