Dear Baseball Community,

If you’ve ever stood in the batter’s box at Sportek, shagged fly balls in center, or watched your kid round third under the open sky — you know this field.

And if you played here in the evening, you also know what happens the moment the sun goes down: everything stops.

For 40 years, Tel Aviv Baseball has operated without proper field lighting. Practices cut short. Games cancelled. Players turned away because we simply couldn’t see. That has always been the ceiling — until now.

After four decades of pushing, arguing, and refusing to give up, the city of Tel Aviv has finally given us the green light to install full field lighting at Sportek.

The infield has been resodded. The backstop is up. The batting cage is installed. The field is being rebuilt to the standard this program has always deserved.

The one thing we still need: $100,000 for lighting.

That means three 12-meter poles, electrical infrastructure, and the installation work to bring full nighttime baseball to Tel Aviv for the first time in the club’s history.

What the lights will make possible:

•  Evening practices for every age group — from T-ball to adults
•  Night games for Little League — a first in Tel Aviv
•  The return of Juniors (ages 16–18) and Premier League (21+) to the city
•  Year-round programming and expanded capacity to welcome more players

In a year like this one, having a place where the game still plays matters more than it ever has. Soldiers coming off active duty show up on weekends to play pickup. Kids who need a break from a world that feels heavy find it here. This field is more than baseball — it’s a few hours of life as it should be, and that’s worth fighting for too.

We have already raised $60,000 toward this goal. We need $40,000 more — and we are reaching out to you, the Tel Aviv baseball family, to close the gap.

Installation is scheduled for early 2025. To stay on schedule, we need funds committed by end of June. Every dollar raised now goes directly toward getting those lights in the ground before the next season begins.

If you played here, coached here, or watched someone you love grow up on this field — this is your moment to be part of what comes next.

Gifts of $100, $500, $1,000 and above go directly toward field lighting. Every contribution matters.