Ah, snowbirds. The truly Arizona tradition of winter visitors coming here for our wonderful climate (except for, like, the entire month of February this year), clear skies and wide, open spaces. If you’ve been an Arizonan for long enough, you’ve learned that snowbirds are part of the fabric of the Valley, mostly for the best. And you’re also familiar with another uniquely Arizona (well, and Florida) tradition — spring training baseball. In some ways, many of the visiting Major League Baseball teams are like snowbirds, coming in once a year for an extended stay to get out of the cold and enjoy some nice weather. Then the season starts, and it’s back to the colder northern climates. But the Milwaukee Brewers — based in the west Phoenix community of Maryvale for spring training — are turning that notion on its head. The Milwaukee Brewers are changing the definition of ‛ home team ʼ PLAYING BALL FOR MARYVALE Tom Evans | Contributing Editor 28 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | MARCH 2019 NEXT DOORS {ahead of the curve}

American Family Fields of Phoenix, the spring training home of the Milwaukee Brewers, recently opened its doors after a $60 million renovation. “We’re really looking at how we can drive economic impact within the business community in Maryvale and help with new housing development,” said Andrew Daugherty, general manager of American Family Fields of Phoenix, the spring training home of the Brewers. “There are a lot of projects we’re on the forefront of, including working with Grand Canyon University on a number of initiatives. We believe we can really help further Maryvale and make it an even better community.” This spring, the Brewers unveiled the results of a $60 million renovation to their Maryvale facilities, which include the sort of things you might expect — expanded seating, wider concourses, a new video board, new concession stands and more. But it also includes what’s called the Learning Lounge, which is being done in partnership with Grand Canyon University (GCU) as part of the team’s deal with the city of Phoenix. The Learning Lounge is a six-day-per-week program for high school students where they are offered mentorship opportunities and a great place to study. The program has a “pay it forward” model where the students can receive scholarships to GCU as long as they come back and serve as mentors in the program. “It’s a cool idea that they’ve developed and implemented,” Daugherty said. “We think it’s so important that we can give back and provide that opportunity.” The Brewers are developing a strategic plan to fully engrain themselves in the Maryvale community, but a number of initiatives are already well underway. The team is focusing on education, recreation, health, fitness and basic needs, and is partnering with organizations that include city initiatives, the Cartwright School District, Valley of the Sun United Way, the Maryvale Community Garden and more. Thad McGrew, the team’s Maryvale director of MARCH 2019 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA 29