Dear MARA Members, Volunteers, and Sponsors,



As we welcome the new year, I am thrilled to extend my heartfelt gratitude to each of you for the extraordinary achievements in 2023. Together, we celebrated over 30 championships, tournaments, and meets, showcasing our collective dedication and passion by our student athletes, volunteers, coaches and parents.

As we reflect on the accomplishments of the past year, I am filled with pride and appreciation for the incredible community we've built.

As we set our sights on 2024, I am excited about the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. With your continued support and enthusiasm, I am confident that we will achieve even greater heights together.

In a special tribute to the late John Duncan, a pillar of our organization, we have decided to rename our scholarship fund in his honor. John's enduring dedication played a vital role in shaping MARA's success, and this renaming is a small gesture to honor his lasting impact.

Thank you for being an integral part of MARA's journey. Here's to another year of shared victories, growth, and community spirit.

Hazel Williams

MARA Board President

In the wake of the significant storm that impacted our park in early January, we reached out to our members for support, and we are sincerely grateful for the response received. Contributions to our capital campaign have been instrumental in addressing the storm-related damage promptly, ensuring the park is ready for the upcoming spring season.

The MARA Capital Campaign is an ongoing initiative aimed at raising funds for the following initiatives:

• Enhance overall park infrastructure, including revitalizing fields, improving pathways for safety and accessibility, creating better drainage systems, and adding turf to some fields
• Replace the aging lighting system throughout the park
• Construct an indoor batting facility

Our Capital Campaign Committee is diligently working towards these objectives, and we invite you to be an active part of our efforts.

There are various ways you can contribute to the success of the MARA Capital Campaign. Consider making a direct donation, volunteering your time and skills, organizing community events or fundraisers, or spreading awareness through social media. Another impactful way to get involved is by becoming a campaign advocate, and encouraging others in your network to support our cause.

Please click here to learn more and contribute directly to the MARA Capital Campaign.

As the winter sports season concludes on the fields and courts, we had over 375 athletes representing MARA in our Football, Basketball, and Cheer programs! With this being our Basketball Cheer’s inaugural season, it was especially exciting to have them supporting our players.

We are grateful and continuously amazed at the dedication and support of our

athletes from our volunteers, coaches, and families.

A special mention goes to our girls' basketball teams, who will be taking part in the upcoming All-star tournament sponsored by Union County organizations. Best of luck to them!

To our partners who graciously hosted our basketball games and practices -

Crestdale Middle School, Indian Trail Elementary School, Crews Recreation Center, & Community House School - THANK YOU!

We are SO CLOSE to being in "full swing" for Spring Season!

We are hoping for sunny, cool days for assessments and we are ready to see your smiling faces! We've missed you! 

We will be open for softball assessments this Saturday, February 3 and then Saturdays beginning Saturday, February 17 for baseball assessments.

We will open weeknights beginning Monday, March 11 as we

lead up to Opening Day! 

Click below to follow mara_concessions on Instagram!

• Baseball Registration for T-Ball (4-5), AA & AAA Machine Pitch (6-8) , Minors (9-10), & Majors (11-12) closes on February 15.

• Girls ONLY Flag Football Registration for Mitey Mite (MM), Junior Pee Wee (JPW), and Pee Wee (PW) closes on February 15.

• 6U Softball Registration closes on February 28.

• Cheer Registration for Twinkles (up to age 6) and Elite Team (7-11) closes on March 15.

For more details about registration, visit marasports.org.

• Friday, February 2: Softball Hit Night at D-Bat Indian Trail

• Saturday, February 3: Softball Assessments at MARA

• Sunday, February 4: Challenge Baseball Tryouts at MARA

• Saturday, February 10: T-Ball Clinic at Finest Athletics

• Saturday, February 10: Pre-Assessment Clinics at D-Bat Indian Trail

• Friday, February 16: Baseball Hit Night D-Bat Indian Trail

• Saturday, February 17: AA-Majors Baseball Assessments at MARA

For more details, visit marasports.org.

February 23-25

Dick's Exclusive Shop Event

Sunday, February 25th

MARA Spirit Day w/ the Checkers

Wednesday, February 28th

MARA Spirit Night at Cantina Louie

Please give a warm welcome to Dana Bouque,

MARA’s new Director of Sponsorship.

Dana has been an active part of the MARA community since 2018, most recently as the Secretary on the MARA Executive Board from 2021 - 2023. Dana, with her extensive experience at Queens University of Charlotte and Hendrick Automotive Group, brings enthusiasm and drive. Her love of creating and fostering relationships will undoubtedly enhance our organization and we are confident in her ability to continue the

legacy that was built before her.

Dana is a NC native and currently resides in Mint Hill with her husband Jason, her son Brady (9), and their mini dachshund, Oliver. Jason has been an assistant coach at MARA and Brady has participated in MARA baseball since 2018. Brady started playing T-Ball and is currently playing Rec. and Challenge ball along with basketball in the winter.

Dana is also a full-time Sociology student at Queens University as well as an active volunteer with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System. She loves baking cookies, canning jams and veggies, watching reality tv, and listening to true-crime podcasts.

You can reach Dana directly at (704) 491-6857 or at sponsorships@marasports.net.

Saturday, March 2

Swag Bag Stuffing

Are you interested in advertising your business at MARA? Want to sponsor your child's team?

Time is running out as our deadline for spring sponsorship is quickly approaching.

Please email Dana for more information.