DREWRYVILLE—Until this year, families in Capron and Drewryville with children playing on community softball and baseball teams often had to split on game days.

Girls’ softball games were played in Drewryville, while boys’ baseball games were played a few miles away at Joyner Field.

“It was hard on the families that had kids playing in both girls and boys,” said Chris Pope.

Thanks to the work of people like Pope and other members of the Capron/Drewryville Athletic Association, local civic groups and volunteers, boys and girls can now play together on new fields.

“We really wanted to consolidate all the kids into one location,” said Todd Schools, president of the Capron/Drewryville Athletic Association.

Schools said they also wanted to improve the facilities. The field where the girls had been playing softball was actually a baseball field.

“We wanted to have facilities that were as good as anywhere else in the county,” Schools said. “We really wanted to build a smaller field that was really regulation size for the girls.”

“And by doing that, we could make some improvements to the boys field to make that a regulation baseball field so that the boys would have a field that was specifically for them,” he added.

Parents are “very excited” about the new fields, Schools said.

“They’re glad to be able to see all their kids play in one spot,” he said.

Last weekend, the fields hosted a softball tournament, and Schools said the feedback was “very positive.”

“From not only local parents, but also from parents and officials from throughout the league,” he said.

Pope said the goal was to create a better experience for kids and “hopefully attract other kids in the community to come out and play.”

Several different groups, including the Drewryville Woman’s Club and the Drewryville Ruritan Club, were instrumental in the construction.

“We’re proud of the field and we’re very, very appreciative of the all the hard work by a lot of volunteers,” Schools said.

Lynn Ramsey of Drewryville, who is a member of Drewryville Ruritan Center and secretary for Drewryville Woman’s Club, said the new fields are “a big improvement” for the community.

Ramsey was among those involved in the demolition of the old Drewryville School last summer, which had become a dangerous eyesore. The school stood in front of the ball fields.

New baseball and softball fields aren’t the only improvements volunteers want see. Ramsey said a playground and other community facilities are also in the works.

“There’s lots more that we plan on doing,” she said. “It’s a big project.”