La Republica Dominicana

I am back in the Dominican Republic (DR) again for my third time in five years. The previous two trips have been through a church mission trip working with Children of the Nations. This trip is unique because I have the opportunity to help my friend with the start up stages of his NPO the I Love Baseball Foundation (www.ilovebaseball.org). The purpose of the ILB is to provide competative baseball coaching and training for a team in Barahona. More importantly, the drive behind the ILB is to simultaniously provide an education for these players. He is essentially trying to create an academy in Barahona for players who would normally travel to San Pedro, or the capital Santo Domingo, to pursue careers in baseball. Traditionally, the overwhelming majority of players will return to there home towns with no money to show for their efforts and are unable to contribute to society since they have no education or trade to show for it. This is what the ILB is attempting to alleviate.

Our job during our time here is to create content through photographs, interviews and film. The content will be used for sponsorship pages in hopes that the individual players will be sponsored so that they can afford the team and education, primarily giving them the financial ability to afford materials that will allow them to be competative in the classroom and on the field.

Today we had the opportunity to watch a baseball game in the main stadium of Barahona. (I should also mention that baseball is THE sport in the DR. Everyone talks about it and follows it. Whether it's the local Dominican teams or the teams in the MLB, they know it all! The players try to mimic their favorite players, most of whom are Dominican.) All of the players have a true joy for playing ball and it shows everytime I watch them. From my experience down here, I am realizing that it is an escape from reality for them. We are definitelly in a third world country and the signs are everywhere. The most telling of which is the garbage that is everywhere! It lines the streets as everyone carelessly throws it on the ground and it is hardly an afterthought for them. This is just a small insight into their daily lives and doesn't include the Bate's, or the slums if you will. When they have the chance to play baseball, they get to pretend they are Pedro Martinez playing for the Boston Red Sox. They also have dreams that their talents will take them to America where they can have a better life. That's why they go to San Pedro and Santo Domingo in hopes that it will become a reality.

I'm excited to have the opportunity to meet more of the players and documenting their talents and lives in hopes that they will have the ability to see their dreams be reached, but more importantly gain an education and be able to contribute to society. Each time I come I am continuously amazed by the people down here who are so generous with everything they have.