Beisbol y Libros
In the United States, it's Baseball and Books. In the Dominican Republic, it's Beisbol y Libros. In both countries, it's about pursuing a dream and an education. It's about the future. For more information and to learn how you can help, please visit www.elementarybaseball.org.
The Mission
Our philosophy is based on a simple idea: use the Dominican
love of baseball to encourage children to do well in school, get
an education and prepare for a future that may or may not include
the bright lights of the Major Leagues. Our message is simple:
school and baseball go hand-in-hand.
The Place
Béisbol y Libros works in partnership with the public school
system in a small town called Consuelo. Eighty-two miles east of
the capitol, many of Consuelo’s 60,000 residents work on nearby
sugar plantations. Consuelo has produced many big leaguers
including Pepe Frias, Julio Franco, Alfredo Griffin, Sammy Sosa,
Rafael Ramirez, Rico Carty and Tony Fernandez.
The School System
Consuelo is the home of Sister Lenore Gibb, who has lived and worked in Consuelo for the last 40 years. With the Grey Sisters of the Immaculate Conception she oversees a model school system that is highly regarded throughout the Dominican Republic.
The Program
Béisbol y Libros is a co-ed after-school program that offers
children access to reading tutors and professionally trained
baseball coaches. There are over 400 children ages 5-16
enrolled in the program. We have built four groomed baseball
fields and have a dedicated space for the tutoring program.
There are 20 baseball coaches and 10 reading tutors who work
with the children at least five days a week. The kids understand
that in order to keep playing baseball with excellent coaching, on
beautiful fields, they must do well in school.
Word of the program's success is spreading quickly. Our children have played all over the island, and teams from the capital have traveled to play in Consuelo.
The Background
In the Dominican Republic, baseball is a national obsession. This small Caribbean nation has produced dozens of Major League stars. In 1999, John McCarthy joined forces with former Major Leaguer Pepe Frias and educator Sister Lenore Gibb to start Béisbol y Libros (Baseball and Books.) This was the first program of its kind in the Dominican Republic. Béisbol y Libros is about pursuing a dream and an education. It’s about the future.
Get Involved
Here's how you can help:For information on how you can help, please visit the program's official site at www.elementarybaseball.org or contact the camp.
Beisbol y Libros Coaches Gallery
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