The Centro di Bario Noord (CBN) once again suffered serious damage this week to its baseball field. Youths showing no respect for the community entered the field and committed acts of vandalism and destruction.
First, the windows of the transmission booth were completely broken. This week, the damage escalated: electrical cables were cut and the batting cage netting was destroyed, which means that training sessions with lighting can no longer take place.
As if that were not enough, another heavy blow was discovered this morning: all the rolls of special artificial grass mats intended to improve both baseball fields were set on fire and completely destroyed.
The damage directly affects 200 children and young people from Noord who practice and are active in baseball at CBN.
Currently, CBN has 130 children and youths between the ages of 5 and 16 training on the baseball fields under CBN Eagles. In addition, there are 70 young players aged 17 and older who practice at the same fields with CBN Noord Indians.
“This is not only damage to materials. This is damage to the future of our children.”
Baseball at Centro di Bario Noord is not just a sport. It is a place where children learn discipline, respect, responsibility, hard work, and teamwork. It is a place where talent develops and where children remain on a positive path.
We must protect the places where our children grow and develop. The baseball field belongs to our community and it took a great deal of struggle, sweat, and sacrifice to bring it to where it is today.
If we do not protect it, or if we stop investing in it, we will lose much more than just a field.
Centro di Bario Noord has filed a police report and is currently assessing all material and immaterial damages.
