The park is now open
- Updated: October 16, 2016
Officials connect the land’s past and future in cutting the ribbon to officially open Choccolocco Park
A group from the Muscogee (Creek) Nation gather at the Pyramid Mount at Choccolocco Park. They came all the way from Oklahoma to witness the grand opening of the 366-acre recreation facility on ancestral land. (Photo by B.J. Franklin/GungHo Photos)
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
OXFORD — The signature fields at Choccolocco Park have been in use since the spring, but Sunday the entire park officially opened for business.
City and Calhoun County administrators, as well as high-ranking officials from two Native American nations, ceremonially cut the red ribbon on the park, officially opening the 366-acre facility that cost more than $34 million to build.
Acting Oxford mayor Steven Waits said the facility “will be an engine that will drive significant economic development for years to come.”
“It is a game-changer in every regard,” Oxford High School athletics director Larry Davidson said.
The most moving address was delivered by Arnold Taylor, representing the Abihka Ceremonial Ground. Opening his remarks in his native tongue, Taylor spoke of the past, present and future of the grounds.
Among those in attendance was a group of the Muskogee (Creek) Nation that bused some 14 hours from Oklahoma for the ceremonies. The Nation expressed concerns about the project at its beginning since the park fell within part of its ancestral land.
“We come here today with mixed emotions, one of sadness and one of happiness, and I hope after today we will leave here … having made friends from here on out,” Taylor said. “The day was set forth that we would all come together and act as one. We are here today.
“Our hearts are heavy, knowing that our forefathers who lived in this area and (were) moved to Oklahoma. When this opportunity came up and we traveled back to our homeland, our people were eager to go. Through a lot of hard work they made it possible. … I would like to thank the Creator for bringing this all together and may this be a prayer of lasting peace.”
The park is home to 11 baseball and softball fields, including signature fields for each, four soccer fields and a championship track. It also has two playgrounds and more than three miles of walking and biking trails, which also offer interpretive education stations of the land’s heritage. Some residents would like to see even more amenities there.
“This is so much more than just a recreational facility, a sports complex,” Waits said. “There is a tremendous story to be told here.”
Waits said the facility will give those who play on it the chance to compete on some of the best fields in the country. The upkeep of the grounds is being supervised by Honours Golf, the group that manages the city’s Cider Ridge Golf Club.
The signature baseball field is a finalist for national coaches association’s baseball field of the year, to be announced in November.
The baseball and softball fields have hosted Oxford High School games, the Ohio Valley Conference softball tournament and travel baseball.
The Yellow Jackets will continue to use the complex for their home events, which Davidson said “will reaffirm Oxford’s athletics reputation as first class.”
This coming spring the signature baseball field will serve as the home of Jacksonville State’s baseball team as the school rebuilds its own facility after receiving a multi-million-dollar donation.
There are at least 13 major events scheduled for the park through the summer of 2017, starting with the Choccolocco Invitational soccer tournament Nov. 19-20 and capped by the Dixie Youth World Series Aug. 4-12, 2017.
Nov. 19-20 — Choccolocco Invitational (soccer)
Feb. 20 — Oxford High School softball, baseball opening
February — 8+ high school tournaments start
March 7-12 — Ohio Valley/Mid-American Conference softball tournament (hosted by SE Missouri)
March 9-13 — Calhoun County Baseball Tournament
April 6-8 — Calhoun County Soccer Tournament
April 10-14 — Calhoun County Softball Tournament
May 9-13 — Ohio Valley Conference Track & Field Championship
May 9-13 — Ohio Valley Conference Softball Tournament
May 22-27 — Ohio Valley Conference Baseball Tournament
May 26-29 — Birmingham Vipers Classic
June 16-18 — University of Alabama-Huntsville (high school softball)
Aug. 4-12 — Dixie Youth World Series
Note: Jacksonville State baseball will play its home games on the signature field
Arnold Taylor (R), representing the Abihka Ceremonial Ground, made a moving bi-lingual speech during the opening ceremonies of Choccolocco Park Sunday. (Photo by B.J. Franklin/GungHo Photos)
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