Typical day with my kids includes me sharing stories of my childhood and the experiences I was able to have. Then my kiddos share their experiences and it breaks my heart. Many will not have any equipment to participate unless I purchase it or continue to share with the community our story.
Many of my kids are from the inner city.
We have kids that are very talented, eager to participate, and love to try new things they otherwise would not experience without coaches inspiring them to do so. We are working to revive baseball and softball in the inner city. We are sharing the stories with kids of those that have come before them and beat the odds! Lorenzo Cain of the Kansas City Royals is one of our favorite stories to share! His story has helped inspire the kids to give it a shot! Community partners have shared in helping renovate our field. This is my first year with our kiddos and funding has been the biggest road block in allowing us to gather as a larger group. Many of the kids have shared with friends how much fun the game of baseball can be and gotten them to join! We have two students that have completely turned around their academics and teachers have shared with us how important the game of baseball has been to them.
My Project
They will learn the skills of the game and most importantly be part of a team! We went from 7 kids to 28 kids in just two weeks. Many of them have never been part of a team and look forward to having this time with teammates after school. Many do not have much to go home to. Many of them have been cut by all other sports. This is the opportunity for them to be part of something special. The hardest thing to do in sports is hit a baseball. We have 8 volunteers that are helping now that we have so many kids. With the number of kids we have and the amount of support they need these materials are essential in being able to work with each kid or small group at a more personal level.
We have already changed the lives of many with the amount of volunteers we have and the commitment of the kids to consistently show up and give their best effort!
These materials are needed and will greatly increase the excitement that has already been built. We have asked many of them to try something new and that is always hard for kids to commit to. With the commitment they are willing to put in they deserve to be using equipment that will truly help them become better.
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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. Shoobridge and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.