I Love Baseball
A program of Children of the Nations
The vision of our I Love Baseball (ILB) program 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, building a strong moral character, and growing mentally, physically and spiritually. In 2008, the I Love Baseball program opened the Barahona Baseball & Education Academy.
Currently, thirteen young men have been accepted and are coached by Jose Carrion, a Dominican Republic native and former Major League Baseball 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 local community mentors and attending a weekly men’s group.
The goal of I Love Baseball is to improve the futures for young men in the Dominican Republic by encouraging them to pursue both an academic education and training in baseball.
By having a well-rounded, balanced experience in the I Love Baseball program, we believe these young men will have confidence in knowing that success in baseball is not their only option for success in life.
For more information, visit www.ilovebaseball.org.