Blue Sox Reach Out To Community In Effort To Educate Younger Generation
Published on July 5, 2011 under New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Valley Blue Sox News Release
The Holyoke Blue Sox athletes are active members in the Pioneer Valley in more ways than one. Although the players all come from different places around the United States they share a common bond on and off the baseball field. One of the biggest community outreach programs that the Holyoke Blue Sox athletes take part in are the Educational Tours.
The Educational Tour has been in place for the past couple of years to bring the Blue Sox athletes into the classroom to educate the children who look up to them. As part of the tour the athletes reach out to the surrounding community in an effort to teach children the benefits of staying in school and becoming involved in their communities.
During the Educational Tour the athletes travel all over the Pioneer Valley, going to about 40 different schools in the area. During their visits they talk about why it is important to stay in school and get involved in the community. As the team continues to grow, the athletes reach out to more and more communities to teach the kids the benefits of being a strong leader.
"These kids [the athletes] are from all over the country, so they come here not knowing anybody," said Principal Owner and COO Barry Wadsworth. "So going and spending an hour with a bunch of 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th graders and just getting to know them and talk to them is great. The kids look up to these guys as role models. It's great for us to give back to the community and it's great for the Blue Sox to meet fans."
The Holyoke Blue Sox don't only reach out to schools in the area but have also expanded to working with the local children's hospitals. The Blue Sox have visited the Children Miracle Network Hospital that is a part of Baystate Hospital and they are also correlating with Shriners Hospital for Children. For this Blue Sox this is something that is extremely important and something that the team loves to do.
An aspect that most Blue Sox fans don't know is that Gary Rome of Gary Rome Hyundai in Holyoke, Massachusetts has a strong involvement with the team and is the sole sponsor for the Educational Tours. Rome provided the Blue Sox with the van that Barry Wadsworth uses to promote the tours. Having grown up in Holyoke, Rome is always looking to helping people in the community and was able to do so through the Holyoke Blue Sox.
"I am very interested in helping young adults develop. I like helping them to get started early focusing on their futures," said Gary Rome. "I grew up in Holyoke and I enjoy giving back to the community."
For the Blue Sox, the Educational Tours are a chance for the athletes to encourage fans to become an active member of the community in which they live. For Wadsworth, there is one message that he wants to make sure all the children understand during the educational tours.
"The biggest thing is just telling these kids that even though [the athletes] are following their dreams to make it to the major leagues, they understand that they have to be well-rounded and that they have to stay in school and get involved. It's important for our team to learn these things and to get out there and to give back." said Wadsworth about the importance of the Educational Tours.
New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from July 5, 2011
- Blue Sox Fall to North Adams 3-2 - Valley Blue Sox
- Mountaineers Bats Awaken, Defeat Keene 5-3 - Vermont Mountaineers
- Mountaineers collect 11 hits in 5-3 win over Swamp Bats - Keene Swamp Bats
- Blue Sox Reach Out To Community In Effort To Educate Younger Generation - Valley Blue Sox
- 'Cats Blank Schooners on July 4 - North Adams SteepleCats
- Westerners Roll Over North Adams - Danbury Westerners
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
