Washington Nationals Youth Academy

The Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy is home to the Bison softball team.

The $17.7 million facility features three, lighted artificial turf fields (baseball, youth baseball and softball), an indoor practice facility, year-round batting cages as well as an outdoor maintenance equipment storage structure. The field the Bison play on features home and visting bullpens with outfield fencing that is 200 feet down the lines and 210 to center field.

There is also a 20,000-square foot, two-story structure that contains central administrastion and staff offices, locker rooms, bathrooms, concession space, seven classrooms, a cutting-edge teaching kitchen, lunch and meeting rooms and community event space.

The Academy is a year-round educational and athletic facility designed to provide quality after-school and summer learning programs for boys and girls in Washington, D.C., neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River. It is the result of a unique public-private partnership that includes the Washington Nationals, the Nationals Dream Foundation, the D.C. government, Events DC, the National Park Service and the local business and philanthropic community.

The Academy uses baseball and softball as vehicles to help develop literacy and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills, as well as healthy lifestyles through fitness, proper nutrition and cooking lessons in a safe, nurturing environment. Program partners include Higher Achievement and Brainfood.