Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation’s Post

NAFBF-NC: Raising the Bar in Youth Baseball NAFBF-NC is transforming youth baseball in North Carolina by making the sport more accessible, affordable, and meaningful for players and their families. Here's how we're raising the bar: ✅ Affordability: We’re breaking down financial barriers that keep many families from participating in traditional travel baseball, where costs can reach $20,000 per year. ✅ Opportunity for All: NAFBF-NC prioritizes underserved communities, ensuring players of all backgrounds have the chance to shine. Our focus includes African American and Latino players, who are underrepresented at the youth level despite their significant contributions to MLB. ✅ College Pathways: Players in our programs will have access to free college credit opportunities, enhancing their academic and athletic futures. ✅ Skill Development: Through honest evaluations by current and former college coaches, players receive personalized improvement plans and development resources to help them reach the next level. ✅ Community Engagement: Partnering with local organizations like YMCAs and Little Leagues, we’re creating programs that focus on leadership, teamwork, and personal growth. ✅ Unique Tournaments: Our localized fall leagues, regional championships, and a season-ending State Tournament offer competitive opportunities while keeping travel costs low. NAFBF-NC is more than just a league—it's a movement to redefine what youth baseball can be in North Carolina. Join us in building a brighter future for the game. [Learn More or Sign Up Here (insert link)] #NAFBFNC #YouthBaseball #BaseballForAll #AffordableBaseball #YouthSports #NorthCarolinaBaseball #CommunitySports #AccessibleAthletics #LeadershipThroughSports #RaisingTheBar #BaseballDevelopment

I thought baseball wasn’t for me, but it turns out baseball is for EVERYONE. Thanks to a recommendation from my peers in APPLES Service-Learning, I had the chance to volunteer with the Miracle League of the Triangle. This organization hosts events during their season to give kids with disabilities the opportunity to experience the joy of playing baseball. At first, I was confused. How do kids—especially kids with disabilities—learn to play baseball? I don’t even know how to play myself! But when I arrived and saw everything in action, I quickly realized how wrong I was: Volunteers, working as buddies, help the kids play and have fun. Every time a child hits the ball, runs the bases, or accomplishes something, the entire crowd cheers and celebrates their success. The joy on their faces and the encouragement from everyone around made me realize how powerful an inclusive community can be. The Miracle League taught me so much about what it takes to create a welcoming environment. They’ve built their own accessible fields, gathered a dedicated team of loyal volunteers, and built partnerships with universities and local communities to make it all happen. Most importantly, the Miracle League reminded me of something fundamental: sports are for everyone, no matter who you are. 👉 check out the link and watch a video about the daily routine of Miracle League of the Triangle: https://lnkd.in/ejGAvpiK #LearningSprintIOCYL #IOCYoungLeaders #InternationalOlympicCommittee

🚨Excited to share our latest interview with Erica McCall!🚨 Erica, a former WNBA player and current assistant coach for Stanford Women’s Basketball, played for the WPBA’s Bay Area Phoenix last season. In this insightful conversation, Erica highlights her journey as a professional athlete and why the WPBA is addressing a critical need in women’s basketball. With no development league like the NBA’s G League for women, the Women's Premier Basketball Association is stepping up to provide a pathway for players to grow, develop, and stay ready for professional opportunities. Erica also emphasizes the importance of investing in women’s sports to ensure the future of the game continues to thrive. This is a must-watch for anyone passionate about growing women’s basketball. #EricaMcCall #WPBA #WomensBasketball #InvestInWomen #BayAreaPhoenix

📉 Why Are Fewer Kids Playing Baseball? 📉 A recent article on Baseball Biographies explores the concerning decline in youth baseball participation. Factors contributing to this trend include the rise of other sports, changing interests among children, and financial barriers that make baseball less accessible. The article highlights the importance of fostering interest in baseball to ensure the sport's future growth. NAFBF is making a difference and reclaiming youth sports for teens. We believe sports must be about more than skills and score. We develop player character by teaching and celebrating good sportsmanship at every practice and game. 👉 Read the full article here #NAFBF #YouthSports #Baseball #Community

How are basketball players trained in the U.S. vs. other countries? What can we learn from each other? On the eve of NBA All-Star Weekend, join us for the next event in our Future of Sports conversation series, this one of the future of grassroots hoops.

Here's the issue with #NIL, is it a concession to create a distraction or delay addressing the core issue? what's the core issue? Athletes still aren't being paid from earn revenues from the schools, right? Does NIL just bring to light, legalize , and expand what was already taking place in the dark? #nobackboards #basketball #blackownedbusiness

At last month's board meeting, we had the privilege of hearing from some amazing students about what sports mean to them. Their insights were inspiring as they shared how athletics have shaped their elementary school experience and how sports are helping them prepare for the future. 🏅🏀⚽ We asked students: ➡️ Why is the board athletics programming important to your elementary school experience? ➡️ How do you think participating in school sports prepares you for the future? Stay tuned as we highlight our students' incredible answers and celebrate the power of school sports! Now, we want to hear from you! What does participating in school sports mean to you, and how has it impacted your life? #StudentVoices #SchoolSports #FutureLeaders

Capturing the momentum of NCAA women's college basketball, Howard University Athletics secured a significant Name, Image, Likeness("NIL") contract for its women's basketball athletes this summer. This partnership aims to attract high school girls to join the forward-thinking HBCU. #womeninsports #journalism #publicrelations #advertisingandmarketing #creativeadvertising #contentmarketing #diversity Link to article:

The Luka Dončić Foundation has just released a powerful evaluation on the state of youth basketball, highlighting a troubling trend: “Joy, creativity, and exploration are being squeezed out of the game. Young athletes are leaving sports at an alarming rate, with 70% quitting by age 13.” – American Academy of Pediatrics This is a wake-up call. Why does this matter? Because sports are not just about creating champions—they’re about building character. As highlighted in the research: "Basketball's greatest power isn't in creating champions, but in developing character." Let’s connect the dots: - Less joy. - More pressure. - Rising dropout rates. - Diminishing one of the most effective character-building experiences. We must rethink the role of sports, particularly how elite sports can influence youth sports. It’s time for sports organisations to balance their commercial ambitions with their profound social responsibilities. I see a shift coming. Gen Z demands more than just entertainment—they seek purpose and impact. Yes, this may mean sports organisations will need to reassess their priorities, potentially taking financial hits to focus on what truly matters. For a while, I thought I launched Way to Play too early. That the market wasn’t ready for our forward-thinking solutions. But today, I’m convinced: The time is now. People are waking up to the need for change. -- What I do at Way to Play: "I help sports organisations unlock the True Value of Sport by combining deep insights into digital content strategies with a focus on cultural, social, and well-being impacts, creating innovative solutions. My approach drives both purpose-driven engagement and measurable commercial success." #YouthSports #SportingExcellence #WayToPlay #GenZ #SocialImpact #CharacterBuilding #SportsMarketing

My team lost to a bunch of girls. When I was in high school, my cousin and I and a few friends decided we were going to enter our community's 3-on-3 basketball tournament. The only problem was that none of us really played competitive basketball, which is just a nice way to say we were really bad at basketball. But our one advantage was that everyone else knew we were bad at basketball too. Somehow, we weaseled our way into the women's bracket of the tournament because even the other boys teams agreed that is where we belonged. Suddenly, in our little minds, we become REALLY good as basketball. There was no need to have a game plan, there was no need to warm up, there was only talks of ally oops and holding the ball over their heads where they couldn't reach (none of us were tall enough to do either of those things). There was no way we could lose! We had already put our "Champion" t-shirt sizes on our application so they could have them ready for us at the end of the day. We lost to a team of middle schoolers from a neighboring town, and to a team of moms (it hurts a little less knowing the moms did have the current high school basketball coach and our high school's all-time leading scorer playing together). There were no t-shirts, no wins, and barely any points scored by us. That hot July afternoon we learned more than just a confirmation of our inability to "ball out". We learned 1. Not to underestimate our opponents; 2. Prepare better; and 3. Not to assume that special accommodations are the only thing guaranteeing a win. I haven't touched basketball since. But I did take some of what I learned from that experience and took 8th in state wrestling the next year. What experiences in your life have helped you learn how to manage your expectations of what the world is presenting you? Are you more successful now because of those experiences?