Photos by Carol Barker Wyatt

Roundabouts and data centers aren’t the only major developments coming to the Lake Anna area. Situated at the intersection of routes 33 and 522, this facility marks a notable milestone for Louisa County youth. The land for the complex has been generously donated to the Louisa Little League and will soon be home to William A. Cooke Youth Sports Complex.

Brandon Groome, a dedicated board member of Louisa Little League, expressed his enthusiasm for the project, stating, “This is a game-changer for our community. We’ve long awaited a centralized location that can accommodate our expanding league and provide a top-notch experience for our players and families.”

With approximately 400 girls and boys of various age divisions, the demand for adequate league facilities has outpaced availability. The new sports complex aims to bridge this gap, offering a safe, modern, and inclusive environment for young athletes for practice and game play – for both baseball and softball.
The four-field cloverleaf complex will be dedicated to both peewee and major baseball as well as softball needs. Because Louisa Little League serves so many kids, they have simply outgrown their current fields.
Currently, the league is utilizing five total fields for practice and games, including Purcell Field in Louisa, Luck Field in Mineral, and three more Louisa County fields.

“We serve 300-500 kids annually between Spring and Fall seasons,” said Groome. “We just don’t have enough fields and we’re growing every year and are completely out of space. In order for us to get the correct number of practices and games in, we are currently using all of the fields.“

The land, which was donated in 2017, has had some setbacks in development due to a required site plan and study for a conditional use permit. The site construction is finally now underway and the league hopes to be able to use it for upcoming Fall or Spring play.

“Our goal is to play some baseball there this Fall, but I’m hoping to have our opening ceremony there in 2025, with baseball and softball on those fields,” explained Groome.

In the past 20 years, The William A. Cooke Foundation has given over $40,000 in donations to Louisa for youth sports, including funds for the field, along with thousands more for classroom needs, running tracks, libraries, and parks. The foundation’s mission is to support local public purposes that benefit Louisa and Orange County residents. Randall L. Tingler, broker at William A Cooke Real Estate, is the chairman of the board, along with other board members, including Louisa County Schools Superintendent Douglas Straley.

Despite generous donations, the sports complex is still in need of a large amount of funding. “Stadium lighting is one of our biggest expenses,” said Groome. “We’re looking at our options, but we really need more support from the community. The best three ways to help are to volunteer, become an umpire, and give monetary donations.”

“Little league baseball has been a staple in the county for decades, most of the kids who go onto middle school and high school first come through the little league program, and it’s important that they get the opportunity to play in our program… It’s a safe and fun environment to play a sport at an affordable cost to the parents, that’s the big reason why little league is so important to the county.”

To learn more about volunteering or donating funds, visit https://www.louisalittleleague.org.

Jen Bailey

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