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For children living in East Harlem, growing up is not
easy. Drugs, violence, poverty and illiteracy magnify the anxieties
young people face as they struggle through adolescence.
Often, neither the schools nor the home offer an
escape from the boredom, family stress and sense of hopelessness that
too frequently mark their lives. Sadly, the resources available to
these youths are drying up. Recent New York State and City budget
cuts have forced several neighborhood organizations to reduce or
eliminate youth recreational and educational programs.
This lack of available resources underscores the
critical need to fund programs such as Harlem RBI (Reviving Baseball
in Inner Cities).
Located in East Harlem at 1st Avenue and 100th Street,
Harlem RBI has established a unique sports and study program that
uses the excitement of baseball to involve inner city youths in
athletic and academic activities that promote teamwork, self-esteem
and the ability to set and achieve goals. Harlem RBI's baseball and
softball programs provide its young players with the opportunity to
learn and play quality baseball while developing respect for their
coaches, their teammates and opponents and - most importantly - for
themselves. RBI's staff and volunteer corps of coaches, mentors and
tutors offer these youngsters the guidance and support necessary to
overcome the devastating effects of growing up in a disadvantaged
neighborhood. By enhancing the skills and confidence of its players -
both on the field and off - RBI aims to create a safe haven that
provides youth with a focal point for social support and sense of achievement. |
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Harlem RBI is a private, non-profit organization,
registered as a 501(c)(3) under the auspices of The Parks Council.
Harlem RBI was launched in the summer of 1991 in East Harlem in an
abandoned lot located off 1st Ave at 100th St. The Harlem RBI program
operates year-round.
Our mission is to use baseball to bring inner city youth together to:
-
encourage and support the educational advancement of our youth
- develop self-esteem
- promote the values and responsibilities of community leadership
- Harlem RBI enrolls 200 boys and 75 girls, who participate in the
following divisions:
- two baseball teams of 7-9 year olds
- five baseball teams of 10-12 year olds
- two baseball teams of 13-15 year olds
- two baseball team of 16-18 year olds
- four girls' softball teams of 10-17 year olds
- Harlem RBI renovated and now maintains a 3.5 acre lot into a green
neighborhood park with two baseball diamonds
and a sprinkler system.
- Harlem RBI offers numerous educational
workshops including:
- "Achieving Success" trains participants to apply
effective thinking skills to daily life.
- "Creative Writing" develops writing skills by requiring
participants to keep journals & write stories.
- Harlem RBI's Project A.L.T. (After-school Learning Team) is an
after school enrichment program developed in association with J.H.S.
99, which serves as the program site. Professional teachers, RBI
staff and volunteers tutor, teach enrichment classes, and provide
recreational activities.
- Harlem RBI & Teach for America launched a pilot educational
program taught by professional teachers during the summer of 1994
that used baseball themes to teach 75 boys and girls a curriculum of
reading, writing, math and art. Students attended classes during the
morning and played baseball on RBI teams during the afternoons.
- Harlem RBI's Mentorship Program has successfully matched over 40
volunteer mentors in one to one relationships with RBI youth. Each
Mentor is asked to meet twice monthly with the Mentee.
- Harlem RBI's Speaker Series has featured discussions of diverse
topics such as life in professional baseball, women & sports, gun
violence, book readings, AIDS & teen sexuality.
- Harlem RBI's Youth Newsletter, published quarterly under the
sponsorship of Bill Communications, promotes literacy and career
skills. Professional editors and journalists teach the participants
the fundamentals of reporting and writing stories, creating artwork,
selling ads, and circulating copies of the newsletter.
Harlem RBI's Athletic and Recreational
activities have included:
- Goodwill games hosted in various cities including Los Angeles,
Philadelphia, St. Louis and Boston
- Regular winter attendance at indoor centers with batting cages
and other sports/game facilities
- Ice-skating at Central Park and Riverbank State Bank
- Movie screenings and theater tickets
Harlem RBI's presence has decreased the
neighborhood crime rate.
- SYEP: 1996 is the fifth year that Harlem RBI has participated in
the Summer Youth Employment Program through New York City.
Participants choose from among coaching, grounds crew and teacher's
assistant positions.
- Community Service: Harlem RBI has involved its youth in
neighborhood clean-ups and feeding the homeless at soup kitchens. We
will continue to expand this component, and impart the merits of
civic duty to the youth of Harlem RBI.
HARLEM RBI STANDOUTS
Jermaine Elston, a 4-year all-star with Harlem RBI, was
honored as the recipient of the Satchel Paige Youth Award.
Jermaine was recognized at the First Annual Negro Baseball League
Celebration for academic excellence, leadership on the field, and
community service.
Harlem RBI veteran David Diaz, a past winner of the
"Willie Randolph Award for Athletic and Academic
Achievment," has been accepted to Seton Hall University and Iona
College for the 1997 Fall semester. David, who will be playing with
the Harlem RBI Grays this summer, will decide which school to attend
in the next month.
* * *
The New York Mets and Opportunities in Baseball, an innovative
program stressing leadership and education, have provided several
Harlem RBI players including Harlem RBI "lifer" Mark Perez
with the opportunity to spendtwo weeks in Colorado learning to become
better baseball players and citizens.
* * *
Jose Agosto, now in his sixth year with Harlem RBI, received a
scholarship to attend Rice High School in New York City. Since he
began school in September of 1996, Jose has been named Rice's "Student
of the Month" twice. |
