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Badges for Baseball
When fully implemented, Badges for Baseball is a multi-faceted mentoring program that brings the tenets of “The Ripken Way” to young people through a variety of programs, including Healthy Choices, Healthy Children and baseball/softball themed activities. Most importantly, law enforcement mentors work directly with youth to enhance the lessons of “The Ripken Way” while providing young people with new opportunities to learn, grow, and make positive choices for their future. What is the target population? While this program is beneficial for youth from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds, the Badges for Baseball program primarily targets areas with high rates of juvenile crime and delinquency related issues. Unfortunately these high crime rates often correlate with strained relationships between law enforcement officers and young people living in these neighborhoods. This strain provides an opportunity to reach young people at an impressionable age and gives them opportunities to begin seeing the law enforcement officials as mentors, friends, and coaches rather than an enemy on their streets.  How does it work? The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation partners with America’s most successful youth serving organizations such as Boys & Girls Clubs, Recreation Departments, after-school programs, and Police Athletic Leagues to bring programs to deserving young people across the country. Each program site receives program materials including Healthy Choices, Healthy Children, baseball, softball, and Quickball equipment, training, and on-going support from Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation staff and local law enforcement agencies. What are the benefits? To quote an officer who participated in the 2008 Badges for Baseball program, “I learned something about kids – they just want to be heard, feel respected, and just feel like someone cares about them.” The benefits are many and varied for the youth participants, law enforcement, and entire community including: increased participation in physical activity, learning the value of a healthy lifestyle, learning important life lessons including setting life goals and learning how to achieve these goals, and children and their family members begin to see their local law enforcement as agents of change and safety in the community creating a sense of safety in their neighborhoods. Young people begin to see the officers as their coach and role model, and view them as a wise and trusted friend. Law enforcement officers begin to see the potential in the young people from their neighborhoods, thus solidifying a mentoring relationship. Most importantly, law enforcement officers and young people begin to have fun together and develop a mutual respect for each other and their community. |
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