Federal Way National to have two turf fields in 2027
Published 1:30 am Thursday, July 30, 2026
“I feel like a kid who has dreamed about a dream car for years and is finally going to the dealership to pick out the right color,” League Scheduler and jack-of-all-trades Rick Adams said in his speech during a momentous occasion for Federal Way National Little League.
It’s been a long time coming for Federal Way National as the league is going to reach a serious milestone for baseball facilities in Washington state. The league announced July 27 that there will be artificial field turf installed on two of the fields thanks to grant money that was assisted by King County Council Member Pete von Reichbauer.
“I can’t wait. Like was said multiple times, baseball brings people together. I have been here all these years because I love this place. To have it continue and be able to play without raining out games,” Kirk Westrick, Challenger Director said in an interview following the groundbreaking.
Federal Way Little League became a chartered league in 1959, was split up between American and National leagues until the mid 2000’s when American merged with National. Federal Way National has been playing at The Complex as it is called since 1989 when Weyerhaeuser donated the 21-acre plot of land to the little league. Since then, the Little League has operated by 100% volunteers.
The Little league held a ground breaking on Monday as a way to commemorate the momentous achievement by the little league. A grand total of $1.75 million dollars in grant money was acquired by the little league and will immediately be put towards fields one and four, while money towards field two will be spent following the completion of the first two fields.
The fields are not going to be completely turf as the outfield will remain grass, but the infields will have artificial turf.
Federal Way National is planning on having three types of competition on the new turf fields; baseball, softball and the challenger division. The last of those three, Challenger, is for kids with developmental or physical disabilities and has been trailblazed by Kirk Westrick. Challenger went from one team of six players, to this past spring had 40 players.
“We weren’t going to start (Challenger) until we had turf fields. But I was like, ‘We just gotta get started.’ Just imagine wheelchairs and walkers in the dirt out here, it is going to be so invaluable,” Westrick said.
Von Reichbauer has lent a helping hand for many years to the little league, including helping secure funding for the little league to help the challenger division. What was once a skinny walking path in and out of the complex is now wider with paths to each and every dugout significantly helping accessibility for those with wheelchairs and walkers thanks to the King County Councilman.
“This may be Rick’s (Adams) field of dreams, but it is also my field of dreams,” Von Reichbauer said.
Westrick talked about the impact that the King County Councilman has made on the league. “His heart is where it starts, he loves the league, he loves everything about community. He loves our Challenger program, he’s been so supportive of that over the years. He’s great, I see him all the time in town and get to talk to him. It’s great,” Westrick said.
Federal Way National has baseball in three out of the four seasons; spring, summer and fall. But now, the opportunity to play all year round has presented itself as far as field conditions are concerned.
