Most of us have the opportunity to participate in baseball in a way that enables young players to learn and grow in the game. Some of us have even been blessed enough to get paid for coaching kids and young adults. In most cases, parents or grandparents provide gloves, cleats, balls and bats so that youngsters can participate. Unfortunately, there are kids in our communities who don’t get opportunities to play because family members can’t afford to purchase the necessary equipment.
Several years ago, the American Baseball Coaches Association chose Turn Two for Youth (TTFY) as the official charity of the ABCA. Turn Two for Youth is a charitable organization formed to collect baseball equipment and distribute it to active children who need a little help. For ABCA Executive Director Craig Keilitz, his staff, the Board of Directors, and our membership, it is a perfect fit. TTFY gives our association’s coaches an easy, affordable way to give back by donating unused or slightly used baseball equipment to TTFY. In most cases, Turn Two for Youth is able to provide free shipping from the coaches’ campus to the TTFY warehouse in Charlotte, North Carolina. Turn Two for Youth then distributes the equipment to the programs of young players who may not be able to afford it. Together, we can get more young athletes on baseball fields!
Recently, Turn Two for Youth has been working with the Omeko Foundation in the Grand Bahamas to help kids not only get back on the field after the devastating hurricanes from a year ago, but also working to help children on barrier islands to attend school from their homes with remote learning, so they don’t have to relocate from their families in order to attend school on a main island. Turn Two for Youth bought 30 laptop computers and shipped them to Meko and Samantha Glinton for distribution to these families.
Back home in eastern Kentucky, Turn Two for Youth has been seeking bat bags and other related baseball donations to help the disrupted families still in flux from the devastating floods move and relocate any personal belongings they may find. Diamond Sports has donated 74 GBOX ll bags and TTFY is working to secure another 400 bat bags from a donor to ship directly to a warehouse in eastern Kentucky for distribution.
Meanwhile donations from individuals and organizations continue to be shipped to the Turn Two for Youth warehouse thanks in part to caring young ball players like Shaan Patel, a sophomore at Weddington High School in Charlotte. Shaan recently said, “I love baseball and would like to help underprivileged kids have an opportunity to play.” To prove his point he started a local drive and volunteered to help at the warehouse to pack and distribute equipment.
If you would like to donate funds or equipment to the ABCA’s Official Charity, Turn Two for Youth, contact them at (704) 333-8445. Learn more at ABCA.org/turn2 or turn2foryouth.com. Inside Pitch and the ABCA are proud to partner with TTFY.