On August 18, 2018 (81818) I was sitting on the first pew of our church as I normally do on a Sunday morning. This was the Sunday when we had Brian Bollinger share about his ministry as the executive director of Friends of Refugees. The worship experience and his words both inspired and convicted me in my spirit. I started thinking about my passion for coaching and the desire to expose more kids to the game of baseball. Specifically, kids who experience a disparity of opportunity compared to the opportunities my son and the kids he plays ball with are given. I have observed that very few Latino children are playing organized baseball at the local parks in and around the Sandy Springs area. It is my desire (with the support of many others) to expose more Latino children to the game of baseball, provide them with excellent instruction, and help these kids connect with local parks, such as SSYS and NYO.
This fall I was introduced to Felix Lora, Executive Director of the Sandy Springs Mission. SSM provides academic assistance to 280+ Latino children living and attending schools in Sandy Springs. Felix also loves baseball, and together we came up with the idea to offer a baseball camp experience for 40 of his SSM kids. TheMission Baseball Academy was born, and for two weeks in April these 40 children will receive basic instruction and exposure to the incredible game of baseball.
On the final day (April 26th) of the Mission Baseball Academy we will break kids up into four teams and have two scrimmage games. Families of the kids will be invited to watch their children play ball for the first time, and we will have a party after the games to celebrate the whole experience together.
A big “thank you” to Kairos and the Equipping Fund for the generous financial gift to make all of this a reality. Every participant will receive a hat, t-shirt and daily snack. We are excited to see more kids and their families enjoying the game of baseball together. If you would like to learn more, donate equipment, or volunteer to help in some capacity, please let me know by sending me an email – joe@kairosatlanta.org.
– Joe
THE WHAT / WHY / WHEN
What: The Mission Baseball Academy is a two-week baseball camp experience for 40 Latino students (ages 8-11) who receive academic assistance through the Sandy Springs Mission.
SSM believes academic success is essential for a child’s future and their community. With a diploma in hand, success is within reach, and everything is possible. SSM is dedicated to helping and inspiring Latino students from the Sandy Springs community. As a faith-based, 501(c)3 organization, they provide year-round academic enrichment and character-building programs that are designed to transform the hearts and minds of students. They currently are serving 280+ students from the Riverwood Cluster Schools and their families.
Why (Vision): There are very few Latino kids playing baseball in our local leagues (SSYS, NYO, MC, and Buckhead), and I want to see if there are ways to bring exposure to our parks and this community of children and increase the number of kids and their families playing and enjoying baseball. The first goal is to expose these children and give them quality baseball instruction. For many of these children, it will be there first experience playing baseball. The second goal is to extend an invitation to these children to play in our 2019 fall ball leagues, and then hopefully see them a year from now playing in our 2020 spring leagues.
When: During Georgia Milestone testing, schools and academic assistance programs such as SSM are not permitted to give additional school related work during the two weeks of standardized testing. As a result, this provides a calendar opportunity to give these children positive exposure to something new. With my involvement with SSM as a mentor and SSYS as a coach, I want to bring both worlds together, which hopefully provides a winning outcome for both SSYS and SSM students and their families.
Dates: April 15-26
Times: 3:00-5:00 pm (subject to slight change)
Primary Contacts:
Joe Ryan
Coach SSYS
Pastor of Kairos Church
joe@kairosatlanta.org
(404)435-2649
Felix Lora
Executive Director
Sandy Springs Mission
flora@sandyspringsmission.org
(770)707-6600