• Loading stock data...
Friday, July 26, 2024
Join us this September for Tuned In Request to Attend

Dodgers Foundation Hopes to Bolster RBI Program Through Coaching Investment

Photo Courtesy: Up2Us Sports

Photo Courtesy: Up2Us Sports

Seemingly every MLB team has initiatives in place to foster youth baseball and softball development in their local communities. The Los Angeles Dodgers are taking that a step further, however, by ramping up investment on a coaching level.

The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation announced a three-year, $1 million investment in Up2Us Sports, a nationwide coach-training organization that pushes youth development and mentoring with special trauma training to better prepare coaches to be positive influences in the lives of children, regardless of sport.

The investment is the latest piece of the Dodgers Foundation Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program, which is now in its sixth season. The program provides support to youth baseball and softball teams, ranging from equipment and uniforms to training and health resources.

READ MORE: Major League Baseball Increases Sponsorship Support for Little League

Already, the program has expanded a rapid rate. This week, it broke ground on its 51st youth field as part of a commitment to build 75 before 2033, the 75th anniversary of the Dodgers’ move to the West Coast. Its enrollment has also ballooned from 2,000 youth players in the program’s first year to more than 10,500 at 85 locations this season.

The latter posed a key hurdle of how to improve the program and increase its coverage on the ground with reliable coaches, Dodgers Foundation CEO Nichol Whiteman said.

“We always knew we wanted to develop deep relationships with the agencies on the ground,” Whiteman said. “The challenge we were presented was how do we take the coaches we’re training and provide them with another to level to make sure they’re trained for situations of any kind and how do we put more bodies on the ground.”

Up2Us Sports solves that issue. The organization provides “trauma-informed strategies” in 30-plus-hour coaching curriculum to help coaches — often young adults — better mentor and coach children from troubled home environments. Other key aspects of the training focus on developing positive relationships with players, establishing a safe space and developing an understanding of healthy competition.

Overall, the organization has trained more than 2,300 coaches nationwide. According to Whiteman, the new partnership calls for training an additional 250 coaches — 90 specific to the Dodgers’ efforts — to help foster sports accessibility throughout Greater Los Angeles.

[mc4wp_form id=”8260″]

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts believes the greater investment in coaches is critical, both on and off the diamond.

“Being a coach extends far beyond the field,” Roberts said. “You’re a role model, a mentor and someone who can make a difference in a young person’s life and help keep them on the right path. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the guidance, advice and tough love from coaches throughout my baseball career, and I’m grateful to have had such impactful mentors in my life.”

Up2Us Sports has more than 40 sports represented nationwide at any given time, said Paul Caccamo, Up2Us Sports’ Founder and CEO. Its other official partners include the Baltimore Ravens, Chicago White Sox and Miami Heat. The Dodgers Foundation is the first regional partner in Los Angeles for Up2Us Sports.

“We’re excited to be a trailblazer in this community, and this is a Dodger town, so to be an affiliate is so important, and it’s a reflection of our shared values and vision to impact the community,” Caccamo said.

READ MORE: MLB Grit Invitational Aims to Help Foster Women’s Baseball at Youth Level

The Dodgers Foundation and Up2Us Sports will evaluate their partnership following the three-year commitment, Whiteman said, to check the accomplishments and outcomes. No matter where the partnership ultimately leads, though, Whiteman says the Dodgers share Up2Us Sports’ goal of increasing sports opportunities in disadvantaged areas.

“Providing access to baseball, or any sport, gives kids an opportunity to learn life lessons and be a part of something where they can develop work ethic, teamwork and leadership skills,” Whiteman said. “Sports do transform lives, especially in low-income communities. If it’s not part of their routine, and sports are becoming increasingly elite, they’re missing out on those crucial life lessons.

“We need more for an overall impact, not just on the children, but on society.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre calls an audible during the second quarter of their game against the San Francisco 49ers Sunday, December 10, 2006 at Monster Park in San Francisco, Calif.. Packers11 4 Packer Plus Hoffman

‘Down to the Wire’: The Window to Charge Brett Favre Is Closing

Prosecutors could have less than three months to charge the quarterback.
Jun 6, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Shaquille O'Neal looks on before the game between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks in game one of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden.

TNT Launches an A-List Marketing Blitz to Save ‘Inside the NBA’

The push has fans, players, and celebrities making noise.
Sep 27, 2020; Washington, D.C., USA; A general view of an Adidas branded logo sign in front of an empty area of stands before the game between the D.C. United and the New England Revolution at Audi Field. Fans were not permitted to attend the game due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Adidas–Bella Hadid Olympics Campaign Controversy: Everything to Know

Adidas navigates the fallout from a campaign commemorating the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Thom Brennaman Returns to Booth Years After Viral Slur

‘There’s a drive into deep left field by Castellanos.’
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

Olympics Open: What Athletes Can Do With 15 Minutes of Fame

0:00

Featured Today

Teahupo'o Tahiti Surfing

Olympic Surfing Crashes on Tahiti Like a Wave

For Teahupo‘o’s locals, the Olympics are a mixed blessing.
July 24, 2024

The Perfect Storm Propelling ‘EA Sports College Football’ to Early Success

Growing fandom and a long wait have already reaped dividends for EA.
July 22, 2024

The FTC Noncompete Ruling Could Change MMA As We Know It

Fighters could see their options—and earnings—grow.
July 21, 2024

O No Canada: The Next Big Sports Betting Scandal Could Erupt North of the Border

‘It’s open-season for match-fixing up there.’

Top Sports Business Jobs This Week (May 2024)

Each week, our staff combs through the thousands of job listings from…
August 10, 2022

PGA Tour Touts Projected Earnings to Keep Players

The PGA Tour is asking its players to consider their potential futures.
October 3, 2022

Real Madrid President Renews Call for Super League

Real Madrid’s president believes that soccer is losing ground.
Sponsored

TopSpin 2K25 Brings the Legends of Tennis to Your Living Room

2K sports is reviving a classic with TopSpin 2K25.
August 10, 2022

Bayern Munich to Make Growth Push in U.S. Market

Bayern Munich is looking to expand its reach in the U.S.
Nintendo-logo
August 3, 2022

Nintendo Profits Underwhelm, Switch Sales Decline

Nintendo failed to meet expectations in the company’s latest earnings report.
manfred_at_microphone
August 19, 2021

MLB Owners Propose $100M Salary Floor

Major League Baseball owners have proposed a $100 million payroll minimum for MLB’s 30 teams and a lower luxury tax threshold.
nfl_logo
July 23, 2021

NFL to Players: Get Vaccinated or Pay the Price

The NFL’s threatening to drop the financial hammer on un-vaccinated players and teams that cause forfeited games in 2021, according to memo.