Spotlight
Nicaragua Youth Baseball and
Softball Association
It is a huge understatement to say the people of Nicaragua love baseball. They play baseball at every opportunity and immortalize American players, wearing the uniform jerseys and hats of their favorite teams.
Unfortunately, there is very little organized baseball in Nicaragua. Games are played in the streets or open fields. Usually, there are no gloves; bats are made of rudimentarily carved wood and most games are played with cloth-wrapped rocks substituting for a real baseball.
We’d like to change that. That’s why we’ve founded the Nicaragua Youth Baseball and Softball Association (NYBSA), a U.S. 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The NYBSA will provide the precious children of Nicaragua an opportunity to participate in an organized program of learning and competition while playing the great games of baseball and softball.
At the outset, the NYBSA has three main projects:
Nicaraguan Youth Baseball and Softball Complex
The NYBSA is seeking to acquire property to construct a multi-faceted complex for instruction and competition. The facility will include baseball and softball fields for varying ages, dormitories for lodging and meals, instructional facilities (batting tunnels, practice infields and pitching mounds), recreational facilities and a meeting venue.
Nicaraguan Youth Baseball
Targeting larger cities and villages (Managua, Granada, Rivas, Leon, San Juan Del Sur), the NYBSA is seeking to acquire property and/or establish access to local facilities, construct or improve fields, and establish an organized program under the charter of Little League Baseball, Babe Ruth Baseball or other applicable organizations. The program will allow Nicaraguan boys to participate in a supervised environment of instruction and competition from ages 5-18.
Nicaraguan Youth Softball
Targeting larger cities and villages (Managua, Granada, Rivas, Leon, San Juan Del Sur), the NYBSA is seeking to acquire property and/or establish access to local facilities, construct or improve fields, and establish an organized program under American Softball Association rules and guidelines. The program will allow Nicaraguan girls to participate in a supervised environment of instruction and competition from ages 5-18.Program Tuition
Most Nicaraguan families cannot afford the annual dues and fees necessary to support the development of these programs. The NYBSA is developing a program by which Nicaraguan children will earn the opportunity to participate by performing required hours of community service. The community service projects will include, but not be limited to, collecting trash and cleaning roadsides, participating in city/village clean-up projects, and field/facility construction and maintenance.More Than a Game
Baseball provides more than physical exercise. It builds community, nurtures friendships and develops mentors. It allows children to experience achievement, learn from failure, and discover the value of striving for personal goals. Beyond balls and bats and bases, these are the things we want to give to the children of Nicaragua.For more information on the NYBSA, or to make a donation, please contact Roger Keeling at 770-881-7725 or by email at roger@nybsa.com.