Wiffleball Field (Carbondale, IL)
In 2002 at the age of 15, Robby Clark-Stokes started working at Pro Image; a sports apparel store in Carbondale. For a kid his age, he considered saving up for a car. But, instead thought that building a Wiffleball field would be an even better idea.
So, in 2002 bats and balls were purchased. In addition, a chalkboard was put up for a scoreboard and wooden stakes connected with caution tape marked the fence. This would mark the beginning of “Wiffley Field”.
Throughout the next 9 years the field evolved. With a large amount of help from family and friends Robby took the fence from caution tape, to wire fence, to what is now a wooden 3 foot fence. The chalkboard was changed to a hand worked scoreboard and 20 foot foul poles were installed.
In 2005 the field made an addition that would change the game for good. Lights were put up all around the field in hopes that more fans would be able to attend as well the many players who had to work during the day.
From that point, Robby, his mom Paula and their family never looked back. Since 2005 the field has become the home for bleachers, dugouts, a picnic shelter, and corn!
Every time someone new comes to the field the first thing they ask is “Why?”. We all answer the same…”For the love of the game”. Our family loves baseball and softball, but wiffleball has always been the one game that we all could play together. Sure it’s a “kid’s game”… but that’s why we like it. We can come up here whenever we want and become a kid again.
For more information on the field, times to play or watch, or how you could sponsor the field, contact:
Robby Clark-Stokes
[email protected]
618-528-0818
