Our team needs to replace old, tired baseball equipment in order to be competitive with other teams. This equipment will help our competitive edge.
Our large class A urban high school has a high poverty rate with nearly 100% receiving free/reduced lunch.
Baseball participation has been so lacking that we haven't fielded a freshmen team for years. Some of our JV and Varsity players have never played a game of baseball before high school and our tiny budget is getting drastically cut.
But a new day has dawned with a new enthusiastic coach who has raised morale, respect and camaraderie. We have turned the corner and we know our team is on its' way UP! Our kids have a renewed sense of what a team is. They practice hard in the winter and in the summer after the regular season is over to gain strength and skill. They overlook the stares and whispers that come along with a team with our record and "reputation" and they play hard anyway. They encourage each other, celebrate each other, they lift each other up. It takes a lot of character and stamina to play so many games and not win and yet hustle out on the field the next time anyways.
My Project
New batting helmets and a catcher's mask will allow our boys to practice and play safely. New bats and batting tees will maximize practice time as they rotate stations to develop skill and strength. Our team is responsible for providing 2 regulation baseballs for each game. They play at least 30 games each season, and additionally, need even more for practice.
Our coaches, players and parents have put a lot of energy into fundraising for uniforms and other expenses last season.
Coach has many ideas on how to improve the program. These donations will give us a head start into next season.
It is always obvious to urban kids when they are practicing and playing with inferior equipment. This new equipment will begin to put us on the same playing level of our more well off league competitors and put the pride of the state back into the game!
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