My students need a right handed throw glove; a portable pitching screen to protect their coach from hard hit line drives; 4 dozen baseballs to bat against the new screen; and 2 helmets to protect their huge brains.
FULLY FUNDED! Mr. Payton's classroom raised $486
This project is fully funded
My Students
"Let's do ten more," barked the captain of our baseball team as a few stragglers came in from our afternoon run at half pace. He was not satisfied with the effort of his teammates and they responded by running ten, eleven, some of them even twelve more poles. Such passion has become a daily showing.
We have a team full of the most incredible students you could ever hope to coach.
A group of kids whose mantra is that they will use grit and self-control to get them to and through college, against seemingly impossible odds, from neighborhoods where crime and constant stress are vastly more visible than college degrees.
Our scholars recognize that what we are doing is unique. They understand that the number of African American baseball players has dwindled dramatically over the last thirty five years and consider themselves ambassadors for their community in the effort to spread the character development that comes with playing our nation's pastime.
My Project
Most of my scholars had limited to no exposure to the game of baseball before joining our program. They disproportionately come from poor neighborhoods where basic needs often go unmet. Baseball gloves, bats, and other equipment are not a high priority for their families. But, those tools can be instruments of change for our kids.
My scholars will treat their new equipment with love and respect. They will operate with the understanding that helmets, gloves and balls and the L screen are more than implements for catching a ball. Our actions on the field translate to high character decisions off the field. The way we treat our equipment will be an outward manifestation of the way we feel about ourselves and those around us.
On opening day of 1979, 26 percent of Major League Baseball Players were African American. That number plummeted to 8.3 percent in 2013. This project can help to change that.
Black kids are no longer playing the game whose all-time greats look mostly like them.
Guys like Hank Aaron and Jackie Robinson changed attitudes about race, and the next generation of young men have the opportunity to build on their legacy by excelling on the field, in the classroom, and in their neighborhoods.
Our baseball program has caught fire, but we need a little help to get to the next level. Every kid wants to participate, but we still lack the resources to accommodate that passion.
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mr. Payton and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
