BROOKLYN, Miss. (WDAM) – A youth sports program in Forrest County is celebrating a major milestone, expanding to serve hundreds of children across the South Forrest County community.
Six years ago, the program launched with a small group of players and a simple goal: to give local kids a place to play closer to home.
“We started out with 53 kids; this year we have 260 kids, 29 teams altogether,” Forrest County Youth Sports President Wayne Harper said.
As the program continued to grow year after year, organizers say it quickly became clear that more space was needed to keep up with demand.
“I have a group down there called the South Forest Task Force, and they identified this as one of their top priorities whenever I came into office,” Forrest County Board of Supervisors Terri Bell said.
That need is now being met with the addition of two new fields located next to the Brooklyn Community Center, expanding opportunities for teams and families in the area.
The new complex has been named the “Kayla & Wayne Harper South Forrest Youth Baseball Complex” in honor of Harper and his wife, recognizing their role in building the program from the ground up.
“We’ve grown significantly over the last six years, and we’re glad and proud of all of our supporters, especially Ms. Terri Bell that helped kind of guide this whole thing along to give all these kids in this area somewhere to be able to come out and play,” Harper said.
The fields also carry a special meaning for the community. They have been named the “Carter Ryan Bourque Baseball Fields” in memory of a Forrest County Agricultural High School student who passed away earlier this year.
The expansion includes both an under-10 field and a T-ball field, allowing younger athletes to get involved while helping accommodate the program’s continued growth.
“It teaches them hard work, teaches them to get out there to work for what they want. If they want to have more playing time on the field, they’re going to get out there and work for it,” Harper said.
Leaders say the project’s impact goes beyond athletics, creating a space where families can gather and support one another.
“Sports is really one of those things that brings families and children together, and these fields are going to be a connection for that community,” Bell said.
County leaders say the $100,000 project was made possible through a mix of public and private support.
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