St. Jude's discovers its 'field of dreams'

NO PLACE LIKE HOME-Members of the St. Jude's Academy softball team take a break from cleaning their new ball field last Sunday afternoon. The Dolphins' roster consists of Colleen Cass, Molly Griffin, Brooke Henneberry, Jordan Jeworski, Rebecca Maxey, Brighid McEveety, Tina Merrill, Kaitlin Prechtl, Erin Smith, Jenna Bock, Jessica de Lange, Kristen Grodotzke, Marissa Mackel, Bailey Morley and Nicole Parmele. St. Jude's is coached by Steve Henneberry. A group of fifth and sixthgrade softball players from St. Jude's Academy in Westlake have transformed a rundown baseball diamond into their own field of dreams.

All it took was a little hard work.

"It's really cool," said 11-yearold Molly Griffin. "At the other fields, it didn't seem like anything when we were playing at them. But this field feels different because you actually created the field . . . it's like in that movie."

The girls from St. Jude's used to practice at White Oak Elementary School where, according to head coach Steve Henneberry, the Dolphins' practice times were usually double-booked with Westlake Lacrosse.

A HELPING HAND-Madison Henneberry, left, the daughter of head coach Steve Henneberry, helps Tina Merrill pick up rocks on the infield at St. Jude's softball field last Sunday. The Dolphins will play their first home game of the season Tues., April 25 against St. Mel's. Henneberry, who starred as "Tower" on "American Gladiator" throughout the 1990s, said the organizers of Westlake Lacrosse were more than willing to accommodate his team by sharing the grounds. The coach, however, decided to look for a field his team could grow accustomed to and ultimately take pride in.

"I wanted the girls to play on a real dirt infield," Henneberry said. "It was grass (at White Oak). It didn't have benches. It didn't have the accommodations for a real ball diamond."

Searching for a place for his team to play, Henneberry discovered a tiny ball field located adjacent to the old Linton Corporation building on Agoura Rd., just south of Reyes Adobe.

He found out who owned the property-Henneberry requested that the property owner remain anonymous-and it ended up being someone he knew. Without hesitation from the owner, Henneberry and his squad were granted permission to use the field.

"(The owner) just wants the girls to have fun and be safe out here, that's it," Henneberry said.

The Archdiocese and property owner came to an agreement on players' on-field insurance, Henneberry said.

With the logistics covered, the girls set out to turn a field that hadn't been used in years and had weeds sprouting out from every conceivable angle into a more user-friendly environment.

Last Sunday, proud parents, players and volunteers chipped in to help create what is now known as St. Jude's Softball: Home of the Dolphins.

"We had to fix up the fields to make them look really good," said 11-year-old Rebecca Maxey. "We had to pick rocks out of the dirt so we don't trip over them, and we had to take all of the weeds out."

While some players worked on cleaning the playing surface, others helped restore the benches, tidied up the surrounding picnic tables and scrubbed the stands.

Fifth-grader Jenna Bock said the hardest part of her afternoon Sunday was picking up tiny little rocks. But, she adds, it was well worth the time and effort.

"It was fun because we all got to help create a field," Bock said. "Other people in younger grades, when they get up to our grade, they'll be able to play on the field that was a mess before, but we made it clean."

Henneberry said Sunday's field restoration was a fantastic day for his players, their parents, St. Jude's Academy and the community.

He's also quick to credit several local sponsors-Agoura Equipment Rentals, Signs Now, Easton Sports, BJ's Restaurant, Ralphs, Vons and Pizza Hut-for their help in supplying foods, goods and labor for the day's event.

"We had food. We had drinks. It was a great day," Henneberry said. "The five hours went by so fast that the next thing you know, we're done and everyone's just sitting back smiling and taking pictures of the ball diamond."

The infield, benches and tables are in much better condi

tion now, although Henneberry admits the outfield still needs significant upgrades.

Whether or not St. Jude's will play at the field next year remains undecided, Henneberry said, adding that those issues will be resolved in the future. What's important is that his girls continue to enjoy themselves and learn to

play the game of softball with smiles on their faces and pride in their hearts, he said.

"It's about the kids and the kids wanted a place to play," the coach said. "This is their own little field of dreams. St. Jude's found a field of dreams."

St. Jude's first home game is Tues., April 25 against St. Mel's.