NEWS RELEASE

Youth baseball season opens at Historic Dodgertown this weekend, with nearly 1,200 athletes ages 9 to 18 set to take the fields and play ball at the Treasure Coast Presidents’ Day Challenge!

The Presidents’ Day Challenge, co-sponsored by the Treasure Coast Sports Commission, has expanded to games being played off-site at South County Park in Vero Beach, plus Lawnwood and Lakewood parks in Fort Pierce. The schedule of games can be found by clicking here.

This tournament features teams from 11 states and Canada, and kicks off Historic Dodgertown’s busy spring sports season.

The Presidents’ Day Challenge is immediately followed by Historic Dodgertown’s College and High School Spring Training program. The program operates from February 25 through April 28 and is one of the largest such programs in the nation for baseball, softball and lacrosse. Historic Dodgertown also hosts a series of weekend and week-long tournaments each year.

Annually, more than 1,100 sports and corporate teams from 30 states and 10 countries visit Historic Dodgertown in the sports of baseball, softball, soccer, lacrosse, rugby, football, land training for water sports, as well as through umpire development training, business meetings, retreats and more. Teams that stay on property can enjoy recreational amenities not available elsewhere: a competition-sized swimming pool and large deck, lighted tennis and basketball courts, major-league designed fitness room, sand volleyball court, shuffleboard, paths for walking or jogging, as well as on-site dining or outdoor BBQs, and meeting space.

Traveling parties include the players, coaches and families. Following games and training, teams and families are often seen dining and shopping in Vero Beach and throughout the region, thereby boosting the local economy.

In Vero Beach and Indian River County, more than 30,000 hotel rooms are booked annually as a result of Historic Dodgertown business, with recently added extended-stay visits for teams training and playing baseball, softball and football. Coaches, staff and families who visit Vero Beach can book their hotel stays in one of Historic Dodgertown’s 89 hotel villa rooms or at one of our partner hotels.

Historic Dodgertown’s popular youth baseball tournaments and training camps give players the opportunity to play and visit Historic Dodgertown, which is celebrating its 70^th anniversary this year. For 60 years, Dodgertown was the Spring Training home of the Dodgers, and major league players prepared for their upcoming seasons on this campus. More than 140 Hall of Famers have played and visited, and six World Championship Dodger teams started the year on these same grounds.

Historic Dodgertown’s clients include professional and amateur sports organizations, and business corporations, such as: Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball, the Korean Baseball Organization SK Wyverns, Canadian Football League, the China Women’s National Softball team, the China Men’s National Baseball Team, Baseball and Softball Factory, Your Call Football, FCSAA Junior College Softball State Championship, FHSAA High School State Softball Championship, Nike lacrosse, Bill Pilate’s Lacrosse Goalie School, Division I and II sports, USA Rugby/ATAVUS, swimming and rowing teams for land training, and more. The annual Jackie Robinson Celebration Game is played each April 15 at Holman Stadium.

For more information on Historic Dodgertown, please visit our website at www.HistoricDodgertown.com. To inquire about booking your sports or corporate team, please call (772) 569-4900, or email us at info@HistoricDodgertown.com.