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\u201cI\u2019d say it\u2019s mainly stayed the same,\u201d Sandoval said. \u201cIt started as co-ed, started as youth, started as free, and it\u2019s still all those things.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While many youth sports organizations have become increasingly expensive and competitive, Tuckers Crossroads has remained focused on accessibility and community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe want to serve all people regardless of income or opportunity,\u201d Sandoval said. \u201cCost is a big burden. You look at travel ball everywhere, and how expensive that can be. We want to offer something that\u2019s open to anyone, and that was the original intent of the league.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The nonprofit league is funded through concessions, local grants, and donations. According to Sandoval, community support has sustained the program for decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe county commission has been very generous throughout the years,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd then our concession stand is really what helps keep us afloat because families come and stay for hours.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The concession stand itself has evolved over time. What once operated out of the press box expanded into a larger, standalone building completed around 2008. In addition to serving food during games, the building doubles as a meeting space for local groups and even hosts birthday parties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Still, Sandoval believes the heart of the park lies not in its facilities but in the relationships formed there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a big blessing,\u201d he said. \u201cIt helps build lifelong and generation-long friendships.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For many families, the ballpark has become a tradition spanning multiple generations. Sandoval\u2019s own family is among them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the original land buyers, Ken Neal, was Sandoval\u2019s grandfather. His relatives have remained involved with the league ever since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy mom and her uncles all played in the league, then I played,\u201d Sandoval said. \u201cNow my cousin\u2019s kids are playing. So that\u2019s four generations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another founding family still has deep ties to the organization. Sandoval said the granddaughter of one of the founders now coaches in the league while her children play on the same fields their ancestors helped establish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat continuity is special,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Others who play a large role in running the ballpark include Derrick and Dana Jones, Sandoval added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDerrick is one of our umpires, and Dana is in charge of running the concession stand. They arrive early to the park each game day, and they are the last to leave at night as well,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Local businesses and community members have also contributed their time and resources to the project, including building painting by Harold W. Moore and Sons, ballfield lighting installation by Legacy Sign and Lighting, and a donation of gravel for the parking lot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The league draws families not only from Tuckers Crossroads but also from surrounding communities, including Watertown, Lebanon, and parts of Smith County. Sandoval believes families are attracted to the welcoming atmosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou don\u2019t get that with a lot of leagues,\u201d he said. \u201cIt feels more corporate sometimes. At our park, even for new families that move in, as soon as they come, they feel welcomed and part of the community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n On game nights, the park becomes a social center for the area. Children play on the playground while parents and grandparents gather at picnic tables between games. Friends reconnect, families eat dinner together, and neighbors spend hours visiting under the lights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s more than just the game,\u201d Sandoval said. \u201cIt\u2019s the atmosphere around it that\u2019s special.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That atmosphere is what motivates him to continue volunteering his time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy favorite part is just being there in person on the game nights,\u201d he said. \u201cSeeing all the hard work that we put in, and then also that the players and coaches put in behind the scenes, and seeing that come to fruition.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n From the press box, Sandoval watches the generations overlap in real time \u2014 former players returning as parents and grandparents while young children begin creating memories of their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen I was a player, my coaches now are coming back as grandparents to see their grandkids play,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s pretty cool.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As the organization looks ahead, Sandoval said the league\u2019s biggest need is volunteers willing to invest their time and talents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019ve had people volunteer to mow the fields, donate equipment, and help with the concession stand,\u201d he said. \u201cVolunteer hours go a long way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sandoval said he hopes Tuckers Crossroads never loses sight of its roots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe hope is just that it keeps going the way it is,\u201d he said. \u201cHopefully, we can still keep it a place of opportunity for anyone to come play, watch, and hopefully grow a family together.\u201d GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" For more than 50 years, the ballfields at Tuckers Crossroads have been more than a place to play softball. They have served as a gathering place, a community hub, and a tradition passed from one generation to the next. Today, the league continues to thrive under the leadership of Mark Sandoval, who grew up playing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":23884,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[70,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23882","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lebanon","category-stories"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/lebanon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/08\/1-1-1024x683.jpg\")
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