CRSF travels up to Neenah, WI, for September’s Mentor Spotlight of the month. Tim Chappa has been working in youth development for 9 years and has run our Badges for Baseball program at Youth Go for 4 years now. Tim has been instrumental in the Badges for Baseball program for Wisconsin and this summer at camp, our staff inducted him into our “Chaperone Hall of Fame” for the mentors who chaperone the kids coming to camp and exemplify what the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation represents.
I asked Tim some questions about himself and the Badges for Baseball program in WI. Here are some of his answers:
What made you get involved in youth development?
“It’s funny, I never would have believed I would be involved in this line of work 10 or 12 years ago. It wasn’t until I went back to school in 2004, for secondary education and eventually changing to and graduating with a degree in human services, I found out this was the direction I was meant to go. It wasn’t until I volunteered at the Oshkosh Boys and Girls Club, at the age of 26, that I found what I loved to do.”
Discuss your Badges for Baseball program:
“Obviously throughout the summer the program revolves around baseball. Along with the weekly practices we were fortunate to have visits from the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in Neenah and the Green Bay Bullfrogs in Menasha, and the Brewers Buddies Program generously donated 50 tickets to a game in July. However, along with improved skills on the baseball diamond, we hope they take the important life skills with them even more. There are quite a few we talk about, but each summer the importance of surrounding yourself with the right teammates, people who will help you succeed in life, seems to top the list.”
What’s your favorite moment or story related to Badges for Baseball program?
“The past four years have been filled with a lot of great moments. Seeing kids, who never played baseball before, grow with confidence over the span of the summer. Having youth, who took part in the program in middle school, come back and be assistants. Being pleasantly surprised by the support and participation from the parents, in both Neenah and Menasha; coming to the weekly practices and lining the field with lawn chairs for the Friday scrimmages between the two squads. The cherry on the sundae, however, would have to come from this past summer. When I made the invitation calls for the Maryland camp. It just so happened to be one of the boy’s birthday, as well. He said it was the greatest birthday gift he could have ever gotten.”
I have had the pleasure of working with Tim ever since I started working for the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation almost 2 years now. The work he has done with Youth Go is phenomenal and we are so excited to continue running the Badges for Baseball program in Wisconsin. Keep up the good work, Tim!!!