Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing joined the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation on Friday to break ground on Dodgers Dreamfield No. 68 at Nickerson Gardens, a $1.1 million project aimed at revitalizing youth sports opportunities in one of L.A.’s most historically under-resourced neighborhoods.
Rushing appeared alongside officials from the Dodgers Foundation, the Housing Authority of the city of Los Angeles and Kershaw’s Challenge, a nonprofit organization created by his teammate, Clayton Kershaw, and his wife, Ellen.
The organizations held a shovel dedication at the site, which officials said is located in the largest public housing development west of the Mississippi River.
“Dodgers Dreamfield 68 is more than a field — it’s a promise to the children and families of Watts,” said Nichol Whiteman, CEO of the Dodgers Foundation. “It represents our belief that every child, no matter where they live, deserves a safe, beautiful space to play, grow, and dream big.”
The new field will serve children ages 5 to 12 and will include various site upgrades, including a solar-powered scoreboard, new playing surfaces, fencing and irrigation.
It’s the third Dreamfield constructed at a public housing site and is part of the foundation’s goal to build 75 Dreamfields by 2033 in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Dodgers’ move to Los Angeles.
Lourdes Castro Ramírez, president and CEO of HACLA, called the project “a vibrant hub” that will help children and youth “thrive, learn, and chase their dreams.”
Beginning in 2026, Nickerson Gardens will also join the Dodgers Dreamteam program, bringing free, organized baseball and softball to the community.
The Dodgers Foundation says it has invested more than $21 million into the Dreamfields program since 2003, refurbishing 67 fields across the region and reaching an estimated 1.8 million youth and families.
Rushing is a 24-year-old catcher from Memphis, Tennessee. He was the team’s top prospect before earning a permanent call-up earlier this season.