Going To Bat Foundation

Going To Bat Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization conceived and created by three Southern California high school athletes to improve the lives of youths around the world. The mission is to provide any child who wishes to play baseball or softball with the means and the opportunity, providing a viable alternative to other destructive options. Going To Bat Foundation supplements programs provided by Major League Baseball like Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities. Going To Bat Foundation also provides support for Little League Baseball programs ravaged by economic and natural disasters.

In 2012, Going To Bat Foundation merged with Sharing the Sandlot a Gilbert, Arizona based charity group under the Going To Bat Foundation name to better serve the Phoenix metropolitan area. Sharing the Sandlot's Shaun Rico joined the Board of Directors of Going to Bat Foundation'.

In 2012 Going To Bat Foundation formed a strategic partnership with Phoenix based Opportunity Through Baseball to help expand the highly successful education and youth development program initiated by OTB at two Phoenix inner city schools. The goal of this joint initiative is to bolster the public schools in the Phoenix community, expand existing relationships and enhance the student learning experience. Hands-on tutoring by educators and business professionals as well as exposure to real-world technology, will better prepare students to graduate with marketable skills and confidence. Opportunity Through Baseball's Phoenix based Sean Payton joined the Board of Directors of Going To Bat Foundation.

History

The Going To Bat Foundation was founded in 2009 by three athletes from Orange County, California. Adam Salcido (Laguna Hills High School); Kyle Candalla (Mission Viejo High School) and Kieran Lovegrove (Mission Viejo High School)[1] recognized that the opportunities, facilities and equipment that they found readily available were not available to all. They witnessed first hand children falling through the cracks because their parents did not have the means to pay for their children to play sports. The Going To Bat Foundation helps make athletics possible for more children. After seeing a video of kids in a township near Cape Town in South Africa, playing baseball barefoot in a drainage ditch strewn with litter, Salcido, Candalla, and Lovegrove collected used baseball gear from all over California and began distributing it to the most needy.

The first large shipment of equipment and clothing was sent to the Phillipi Angels Township Baseball Academy.[2]

Founders

Adam Salcido

Adam Salcido is the son of renowned author, psychotherapist and youth baseball coach Raymond Salcido, writer of Chaos to Balance: A Life-changing Strategy. Adam Salcido is a talented shortstop who played in the 2009 California Cup on an all star team selected from the entire Southern California area. Along with baseball Salcido also plays basketball and Varsity football at Laguna Hills High School.

Salcido played shortstop on his high school varsity baseball team as a Freshman!

Kyle Candalla

Candalla played in the 2009 California Cup (Manteca, California) on an all-star team selected from the entire Southern California area.

Candalla was also selected as one of only 10 14-year-olds to represent Southern California at the National Team Identification Series at USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina. Candalla played on the varsity baseball team as a Freshman at Mission Viejo High School!

Kieran Lovegrove

Kieran Lovegrove was born in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1994. He learnt his ball skills playing cricket. He moved to California at age 5, and fell in love with the game of baseball. Lovegrove was a member of the Saddleback Coyotes Baseball Team that won the 2005 National Cooperstown Tournament of Champions (Oneonta, New York), where he also won the shortstop skills competition. Lovegrove is a pitcher on the Mission Viejo High School (Mission Viejo, California) baseball team. In addition to baseball, Lovegrove was also an All Star soccer player (goalie) and football wide receiver.

Kieran Lovegrove was committed to play baseball for Arizona State University in 2012.

Fundraising

Donations of new and used equipment are accepted from all sources; individuals, Little League and Travel Ball Programs. Donations can be made through the Going To Bat Foundation website.

The Going To Bat Foundation recently received the 1st Annual New Balance Community Service Award when founder Kieran Lovegrove was recognized at the 2011 Area Code Games.[13] Lovegrove played on the Southern California Milwaukee Brewers team in the 2011 event.

References

  1. ↑ "Go to bat for young baseball players by making your contribution!". GoingToBat.org. 2011-02-09. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
  2. ↑ "The Philippi Angels Township Baseball Academy". Townshipbaseball.org. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
  3. ↑ "2011 Elite Baseball Series Interview with Kyle Candalla and Michael Deceglie". YouTube. 2011-08-17. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
  4. ↑ "The Official Site of USA Baseball: Home". USABaseball.com. 2012-06-19. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
  5. ↑ "2010 West Coast Top Prospect Showcase | Perfect Game USA". Perfectgame.org. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
  6. ↑ "2011 Under Armour Pre-Season All-America". Baseballfactory.com. 2011-01-05. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
  7. ↑ "Perfect Game USA - World's Largest Baseball Scouting Service". Perfectgame.org. 2011-03-21. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
  8. ↑ "2011 National Showcase | Perfect Game USA". Perfectgame.org. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
  9. ↑ "High School News, Videos, Photos, and PodCasts - ESPN". Rise.espn.go.com. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
  10. ↑ "USABaseball.com: News: 2011 NTIS trials selections announced". Web.usabaseball.com. 2011-09-20. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
  11. ↑ "Perfect Game USA". Perfectgame.org. 2012-03-06. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
  12. ↑ "Perfect Game USA". Perfectgame.org. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
  13. ↑ "High School Baseball News, Videos, Photos, and PodCasts - ESPN". Rise.espn.go.com. Retrieved 2013-10-14.

External links

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