The league truly does have a family environment. It’s incredibly important to the Cactus Youth Baseball League that they give families and children of all ages a safe space to enjoy the game of baseball, along with some leisure time. Part of the reason for this is that Maryvale, the neighborhood where league games are played, is unfortunately somewhat dangerous. In fact, the FBI released data in September of 2021 that showed that Maryvale has a crime rate 77% above the national average, while violent crime was a staggering 139%. The city of Phoenix as a whole has 10.9 murders per 100,000 citizens. Anything that can be done to combat the violence in that city and that area should be done. The solution, it seems is a community… this one just happens to love baseball. The violent crime rate in Maryvale, while still intensely high, hasn’t affected the strong sense of community. The Arizona Republic ran a story with the headline: “Past the crime statistics: Maryvale residents say they have a welcoming, diverse community.” The subheading quoted a citizen that said, “It’s not like you can’t walk in the park.” This article went on to state that the community as a whole has been able to drive down the crime and violent crime rate over the past few decades, and while the western portion of Maryvale is still considered dangerous by many, the neighborhood as a whole reportedly seems to feel very safe.  Much of this can be attributed to community endeavors such as the Cactus Youth Baseball League. Said one parent I spoke to at El Oso Park about the effect the league has had on their child’s life; “…it keeps him out of the streets… away from temptation.” For another, it was as simple as, “…getting a little workout in… getting them off the video games.” The product of the league’s labor has been a healthy contribution to the community aspect that makes Maryvale safer day by day.

“It keeps him out of the streets… away from temptation.”

Parent of a league player describing the importance of CYBL

Much of the reason why titanic organizations and corporations such as the Arizona Diamondbacks have gotten behind the Cactus Youth Baseball League is that they know the weight of the positive impact that community endeavors such as the CYBL have on the communities they operate in. The Diamondbacks don’t make a cent from the players wearing their logos on their jerseys, it most likely does little for marketing purposes considering that many spectators had diamondback hats of their own- except they bought them for fifty dollars and wear them willingly regardless of the occasion. In their own state, a state that embraces baseball in many communities, the Diamondbacks have no pressing need to distribute hats by the hundred… the job has been done in the stadium shop already. No, it’s out of care for their community and recognition for the league’s efforts and success that the Diamondbacks have donated their money, time, logo, and products to the Cactus Youth Baseball League. The numbers don’t lie, and neither do the people. In Maryvale, baseball and what it’s done for community bonding are paramount to making a neighborhood feel safe.