The Department of Sports Parks and Recreation has partnered with a Major League Baseball youth outreach program to bring year-around baseball and softball programs to the territory at just a $75 cost to the student athletes, the department announced in a press release.
The Reviving Baseball in Cities (RBI) Program that the department partnered with is aimed to “increase participation and interest in baseball and softball among underserved youth, promote greater inclusion of youth with diverse backgrounds into the mainstream of the game, increase number of talented athletes prepared to play in college and professionally, encourage academic achievement and teach the value of teamwork” according to their website.
The press release explained that the programs are more than just athletics, “The program aims to motivate participants to stay in school and pursue post-secondary education, and school/attendance performance is a requirement for joining and remaining on many RBI teams. RBI has been embraced in so many communities because it teaches children that success in life takes more than succeeding on the ballfield-- it also means succeeding in the classroom and the community.”
The press release from the Department of Sports and Parks Recreation highlighted that this program has elements that will set up Virgin Islands athletes for potential collegiate scholarships. According to the release athletes in the program will have to register for the NCAA Eligibility Center, which is “an essential step in being able to play college sports and receive scholarships at the D1 and D2 level” the press release said.
There will be two divisions, one for 13-15 year olds and one for 16-21 year olds, which will have a total of 16 teams across the territory. There will be two teams per district in each division in both baseball and softball. Student athletes will receive “first hand opportunities to participate in leagues, attend showcases, summer clinics, skills clinics, monthly workouts, inter-island travel, and tournament play. Some of the opportunities will be off island” the press release said.
The press release stated that the total cost of the program to run year-around is approximately $100,000 and the $75 registration fee is to offset that. Payment plans can be arranged if needed.
The student athletes will also have access to the RBI Scholarship fund which “provides annual scholarships of up to $5,000 for up to 12 RBI student athletes who demonstrate academic achievement, leadership qualities and financial need.”
The press release concluded by saying “When children take part in sports, a door of new opportunities automatically opens. PSR is trying to provide those new opportunities through our RBI program. We hope that you won’t let this great opportunity pass by.”
Interested student-athletes can register here:
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