“Man only has one life to live,” as the saying goes, and blessed is the man who lives it serving others.

Northeast Alabama Community College (NACC) honored one of those men today by naming its new state-of-the-art softball facility the Nathaniel Ledbetter Stadium. The name recognizes the efforts of Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter in securing the facility’s funding.

The $9 million project, designed by McKee & Associates and constructed by P&C Construction with Sports Turf overseeing the field installation, features cutting-edge amenities tailored for player development and fan engagement.

The complex includes a 10,000-square-foot practice facility, complete with batting cages, pitching lanes, a weight room, locker rooms, and office spaces for coaches.

It also boasts advanced training resources such as cold plunge pools and will soon house a state-of-the-art Proteus Motion machine for strength and rehabilitation training. The stadium itself includes an artificial turf field, LED lighting, a video scoreboard, and covered grandstands that seat 400 spectators, with additional space along the foul lines to accommodate more fans.

The playing field, named Mustang Field, will serve as the home for NACC’s NJCAA Region 22, Division I softball team. Composed of players from across the state and country, Mustang Softball now has a premier facility to enhance its competitive edge.

During the ceremony, several speakers expressed their excitement about the future of NACC’s athletic program. They were Alabama Community College System (ACCS) Chancellor Jimmy Baker, ACCS Board Vice Chair Valarie Gray, Senator Steve Livingston, Representative Mike Kirkland, NACC Athletic Director Jimmy Kolaitis, and Head Softball Coach Joe Guthrie.

Dr. David Campbell, NACC President, said, “Speaker Ledbetter has been very instrumental in obtaining funds for us to finance this stadium and has been a tremendous supporter of education in the Alabama Legislature and the Alabama Community College System in particular.”

Chancellor Jimmy Baker, who oversees the 24 Community Colleges in Alabama, described what type of “fellow” Speaker Ledbetter is. He said, “He would have demanded this kind of performance, this kind of facility even if it had been named after a dog; it could have been called Roscoe (after NACC’s beloved dog), and he would have demanded this quality be in the project. Baker went on to say that whenever he sat down to talk with Speaker Ledbetter about the college system, he would be that “solid leader” who’s not just talking to hear himself talk or doing what he’s doing for somebody else to talk about him. He’s doing it because it’s what he thinks needs to be done to provide leadership across this state to improve the Community College System.”

Speaker Ledbetter shared his thoughts about the addition of the new stadium. Ledbetter said when he heard Dr. Campbell wanted a softball stadium at NACC, he thought it would be a tremendous asset to the area. He told Dr. Campbell, “Well, you couldn’t put it in a better place considering all the state championships that have been in this area. They have been remarkable.” He added, “The one thing I told Dr. Campbell was if we build this, let’s build it right. Let’s not take any shortcuts.”

After thanking the Board of Directors of the Community College System for the honor, Ledbetter reminisced about being told the facility was being named in his honor. Ledbetter said, “If you know me, you know I am not one to try to create or take credit for something because it takes a team effort, so I was not really excited about it because that is not who I am. But as I thought more about it, I realized it’s not about me.” Getting a little teary-eyed because he was surrounded by his family and a host of lifelong friends, colleagues, and community members, Ledbetter added that naming the facility in his honor was like naming it for all the people who had helped him throughout his life and career and made what he does possible. He said, “That’s really what this is about.”

After the unveiling of the stadium’s front, guests were treated to a reception in the indoor practice facility.

Courtesy of Mountain Valley News.