Business and Baseball - About the Program

     Many young students run into the problem of staying motivated to excel in school and learn valuable skills, and many are in need of an effective learning tool. Business & Baseball provides high school students in the Boston area that very service. Baseball is big time business in the greater Boston area and through this program high school students are taught the fundamentals of successful business practices through the model of how Major League Baseball organizations operate on a day-to-day basis.

     The program currently consists of 6 seminars over the course of two months covering a variety of aspects revolving around business and success skills. Each seminar covers a separate topic consisting of “Baseball as a Business”, “Cash Flow & the Decision Making Process”, “Building Sustainable Customer Relationships”, “Branding & Community Outreach”, "Teamwork & Ethics" and “Skills for Success”.

     The majority of the seminars are held at the historic Fenway Park where students learn about the different career fields within sports, get great advice from sports executives, engage in hands on activities, and conduct informational interviews with the sports team of their choice. The program is not limited to athletes, but students get exposure to collegiate athletic directors who provide insight on their sports involvement over their careers and preparation for playing at the next level.

     In addition to the intimate experience with America’s Most Beloved Ballpark, the students listen in as Rob Crawford, Vice President of Red Sox Nation, is their guest speaker talking about networking, reaching your dreams, and skills for success.

     At the end of the program every student is a winner as they embark on a life changing experience through what is called the capstone experience. In the inaugural year of the program students were taken down onto the field up close and personal for a batting practice visit behind home plate before a Red Sox home game. In addition these students are invited to stay for the game as the Boston Red Sox take on the Toronto Blue Jays. The Fall Capstone Experience is a special Boston Celtics experience provided by Regan Communications and the Dunkin Donuts Kids Zone.

     The impact does not stop after the final week as the students develop positive relationships with staff members and important contacts in Rob Crawford and other sports executives. Staff utilize their professional experiences by bringing students in the program into work places like the Boston Red Sox to fulfill job shadow requirements. One student was even granted an informational interview with a member of the Boston Red Sox to enhance a research project.

     Not only do students gain valuable skills and relationships that will help them excel in high school, pursue and complete their college educations, and attain their most valued dreams, but this program gives students the ability to gain college caliber skills through what we have deemed the “Teach Back” model. Students from the program are invited back to participate in the planning and development future phases of the program, as well as given the opportunity to become teachers and mentors themselves.

     This program has had a dramatic impact thus far on the students and these efforts have not gone unrecognized as the program was awarded “Academic Program of the Year” at the 2008 Wentworth Paragon Awards.

    Business & Baseball representatives have great confidence in the growth and sustainability of the program as it is designed to run annually and increase in size by number of students involved each time with the Fall 2008 and Spring 2009 installments already in place.

     In addition to the value that students receive, all parties involved gain a competitive edge. With the “Business & Baseball” Youth Program we have developed a sustainable model that can be replicated annually among sports teams across the United States prior to their seasons to help market their organizations while generating hype for their upcoming season. In addition students develop comfort with college campuses which increases the likelihood of them pursuing a college degree.

    In essence the high school students involved gain valuable skills that will foster their growth as students, professionals, and people. In doing so they obtain a plethora of life changing opportunities through the mentorship staff members, two visits to Fenway Park one of which includes walking onto the field during batting practice and a Red Sox game, and valuable words from Rob Crawford and other guest speakers. The program has been developed in a way to foster growth and marketability of sports franchises prior to their seasons, and most of all foster the personal growth of young high school students on a personal and professional level...changing their lives and preparing them for success.