Local ballpark keeps getting better

WAUPACA – As football fields are busy with two-a-day practices, the baseball and softball fields are quiet and lonely places. It’s a good time to get some work done and the work to be done is a result of a massive community-wide effort to rebuild the infields at Swan Park which has become a destination ballpark in Wisconsin for youth tournaments.
The plan is to upgrade the infields by transitioning from grass to dirt. It will improve playing conditions; increase the flexibility of field use, and transition between boys and girls games as well as adult ball programs. Construction starts in September.
“It’s not a safety, issue, it’s an issue of flexibility,” said Kyle Douglas, president of the Waupaca Baseball Organization. “Youth baseball and softball are changing, and we want to give kids and youth tournaments the ability to play in different dimensions on the same field.”
The project is a collaborative effort between the Waupaca Baseball Organization, the Waupaca Area Youth Softball Organization, and the Waupaca Parks and Recreation Department.
During spring and summer evenings, the parking lots at Swan Park are jammed with cars for regular ball games. There are girl’s softball for ages 8-25 and boy’s baseball games for ages 7-12. It’s nonstop activity and then there are the huge weekend tournaments that resemble small-town festivals. Teams from all over Wisconsin come to play ball.

“For softball, we’ve hosted elite teams from the Upper Peninsula and Southern Wisconsin,” said Amanda Kraus, president of the Waupaca Area Youth Softball Organization. “Lots of families come in with campers, are day trippers, or stay in area hotels,” she added. “We love the thought of hosting more tournaments each summer with fields being more suitable for the game of softball.”
In late 2024, Douglas realized the fields needed additional changes to continue to be a top recreational facility and started organizing. In only four months, he and other volunteers raised most of the $130,000 needed to complete the project. One of the largest donors is Waupaca Foundry.
For the foundry, the project is personal. Jesse Spaeth has worked at the foundry since 2012 and also is a softball coach for the rec league and traveling teams. Both of his daughters are players.
“Swan Park has always been a place where my daughters and their teammates learn more than just the game-they learn teamwork, resilience, and confidence,” Spaeth said. “Watching them grow up on these fields has been a gift. This project is about preserving those priceless moments and building something even better for the next generation.”
In addition to Waupaca Foundry, Faulks Brothers Construction is also a Homerun Sponsor by donating all needed construction materials, the primary cost of completing the project.
“When Faulks Brothers was presented with the renovation plans for Swan Park, we were excited to be part of this transformation, just as we were 25 years ago,” said Jon Faulks. “Swan Park has always been an exceptional community space and it continues to improve thanks to the dedication of the Waupaca Community and its neighbors. This project will leave a lasting impact for the next 25 years and beyond.”
In addition to business support, the effort was awarded a $15,000 grant through the Waupaca Area Visitors and Convention Bureau. The teams themselves were in on the fundraising with the boys and girls programs teaming up for a Portesi Pizza sale fundraiser. In three and one-half weeks of pizza sales, the groups raised $12,000 for the project. Additional funders include:
• Triple sponsor $10,000 each: Badgerland Restoration & Remodeling, Neuville Motors, Energys USA, Inc., Premier Community Bank, Farmers State Bank and Bank First.
• Double sponsor $5,000: Turner’s Fresh Market and Greenhouse.
• Single sponsor $1000: Riverhill Dental, Re/Max Lyons Real Estate, Brandon and Jade Ihm, and Kyle and Trisha Everson.
“We are overwhelmed by the support for this project and wanted to thank the community for investing in our kids’ futures” Douglas said.