From the Field to the Future: How Mentorship and Partnership Shapes Leaders

Lily Baughan

June 2, 2025

“Sports teaches you character, it teaches you to play by the rules, it teaches you to know what it feels like to win and lose – it teaches you about life.” - Billie Jean King

At the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation (CRSF), we believe that the power of sports, mentorship, and opportunity can transform young lives. That belief is fully realized in youth like Julia, a 14-year-old from Flagstaff, Arizona, whose journey with the Boys & Girls Club of Flagstaff (BGC) and our Badges for Baseball program highlights the life-changing impact of our partnership with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and the U.S. Department of Justice.

Through her involvement with the BGC and participation in CRSF programs, Julia began to tap into her true leadership potential. Julia’s transformation took root during her time at the CRSF Summer Camp in Aberdeen, Maryland, where she not only honed her athletic abilities, but also embraced leadership, teamwork, and communication challenges. Surrounded by mentors, peers, and law enforcement officers, she stepped confidently into roles that tested her courage and character.

CRSF’s overnight camp is the capstone experience of our Youth Mentoring Initiatives. Kids from our program partner sites from across the country come to Aberdeen, Maryland for an all-expenses paid, weeklong camp. During that experience, they learn baseball “The Ripken Way” while simultaneously being exposed to life lessons that will help them continue on the path to success. These lessons are integrated into all activities including baseball and softball skills stations, roped courses, team building games, and special presentations.

Julia’s growth was recently recognized with the 2025 Junior Youth of the Year award by the BGC, a prestigious title earned through excellence in essay writing, public speaking, and interviews. She credits CRSF Camp with helping her become more confident and capable. “When I think of CRSF, I think of a bigger opportunity, not just to play baseball and softball, but to build friendships and become more confident in myself and with others,” said Julia.

Stories like Julia’s show just how much of a difference these programs can make. Our National Youth Mentoring Initiatives are transforming communities in 43 states by empowering at-risk youth through sports, mentorship, and structured life skills programming. Anchored by our flagship Badges for Baseball program, developed in partnership with the Department of Justice, we connect young people with law enforcement and trained mentors to foster trust, teamwork, and positive decision-making.

Julia’s mentor, Amy, has seen firsthand the impact of these experiences on Julia’s life. “Julia has consistently demonstrated maturity, responsibility, and a natural ability to lead. Her peers look up to her not just because she speaks up, but because she listens, supports others, and leads by example. She brings her many strengths to each and every space she puts herself in,”

Julia’s story is one of many made possible through our strong and ongoing partnership with OJJDP and the Department of Justice, which has played a critical role in the development of young leaders. Over the last 24 years, through this partnership we have hosted 600 events, clinics, college days, and camps, impacting over 500,000 youth.

Since 2019, the Flagstaff BGC has implemented Badges for Baseball thanks to subgrants made possible by our partnership with OJJDP, who has invested over $18 million since 2008. In Flagstaff alone, this collaboration has supported:

• Three trips to CRSF Summer Camp, hosting 11 youth and three mentors.
• Youth programming, impacting 440 youth and 43 mentors, including 16 law enforcement officers.
• Innumerable lessons in resilience, leadership, and community service.

Julia’s achievements are just the beginning. With strong mentors, a supportive family, and the foundation built through Badges for Baseball and other CRSF programming, Julia is poised to continue growing as a role model in her community and beyond. Through our enduring partnership with OJJDP and the Department of Justice, we’re proud to empower young people life Julia to become confident leaders of tomorrow.

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