NRPA partner thinks beyond baseball - National Programs - Brief Article

Parks & Recreation, April, 2003

The premise was pretty simple, really. John Young, a former major league baseball player, was looking for a way to help local kids in south central Los Angeles learn and enjoy baseball. But what his research uncovered was unsettling. The once-fertile developmental ground in south L.A. that was the home of many professional baseball players had dried up. Not only was baseball not the kid's favorite past time, but drugs and gangs had crept into the landscape.

So Young, who had grown up in the area, set out to make a difference. Fourteen years and 120,000 players later, you see his result in Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities. Administered by Major League Baseball, the program is in 175 cities and is designed to promote interest in baseball, increase the self-esteem of disadvantaged kids, encourage academic participation and achievement, and promote a greater inclusion of minorities into the sport. To find out how you can get involved, contact NRPA Sports Manager Raymond Harris at programs@nrpa.org.