I Love Baseball – A New Ministry in the DR!

COTN is excited to announce a new ministry in the Dominican Republic! I Love Baseball (formerly the I Love Baseball Foundation) is now an official COTN program!

The vision of I Love Baseball (ILB) is to give youth a place where they can pursue their dream of playing professional baseball while still getting an education, along with living a balanced life socially, mentally, physically and spiritually. The mission of I Love Baseball is to connect people and organizations in the US and around the world with those in the Dominican Republic through the game of baseball.

I Love Baseball originally evolved out of the experiences of Ben Holman, Chris McCoy, Brandon Bleek, Brian Bauer and Ryan Church during a Children of the Nations’ mission trip in 2006, when each had the chance to see firsthand how baseball could be used as a tool to break down walls with young Dominican men and build relationships. Through their observation and interviews with Dominican coaches, players, teachers, and community members, the ILB came to understand that lack of education and leadership are among the biggest problems many of these young men face. It was discovered that a large number of youth skip classes and drop out of school to pursue their dreams of becoming professional baseball players. Since this dream becomes a reality for only a few, many young men are forced to return home—uneducated, unskilled, and in most cases, destined to a life of poverty.

COTN is excited to announce that this summer, after a year and a half of planning, ILB opened the Barahona Baseball & Education Academy! Currently, thirteen young men have been accepted and are coached by Jose Carrion, a Dominican native and former MLB-Triple A player. They practice baseball in the mornings, eat a nutritious meal at midday (for most, their only true meal of the day) and go to school during the afternoons. Each player is required to maintain an average of 80% of all possible points in each class to participate in the program, along with meeting with local community mentors and attending a weekly men’s group. The goal of ILB is to improve the futures for young men in the DR by encouraging them to pursue both an academic education and training in baseball.
There are many ways to get involved with I Love Baseball, both on a local level and on an international level. Currently, the best ways are by sponsoring a player, serving as an intern, volunteering, or donating new or used baseball equipment. For more information, visit www.ilovebaseball.org.