Busco Youth Put Old Equipment to Good Use
Published on July 22, 2009 - 2:17 pm
by The Post & Mail
Tuesday, 04 March 2008
For The Post & Mail
Who would have thought while Fort Wayne native, Eric Wedge, will be managing the Cleveland Indians on the 2008 MLB opening day that his past efforts would simultaneously be affecting the lives of young athletes in a country over 1,000 miles away?
Well if you ask the National Baseball Federation in El Salvador they will tell you it is going to happen once again. You will not read about it in any box score or see it on any ESPN highlight.
However, Wedge's values of making a positive impact were being spread across national borders. Between The Lines, a local baseball entity, will be joining the efforts of the The Pointe Church to embark on a week long missions trip to El Salvador beginning on March 27. Between The Lines, who went to El Salvador in 2006, will once again offer their services to use baseball as a tool to relate and reach young athletes in the City of San Salvador.
In a country deprived of many resources the mission trip is being welcomed with open arms. Between The Lines will seek to deliver a powerful message. "Athletics develop confidence, confidence builds leadership, and that leadership will ultimately change lives. Young players have an opportunity through athletics to accomplish great things regardless of where they live," owner of Between The Lines Caleb Kimmel said.
"Between The Lines is honored to have the opportunity to touch the lives of these players and coaches on an athletic and spiritual level." You may be asking yourself, what does Eric Wedge have to do with a mission's trip in San Salvador?
Well, just a few months ago Wedge came back to Northeast Indiana to impact the lives of young athletes here in our community. On Jan. 19, Mr. Wedge donated his time for the fourth annual Eric Wedge Baseball Camps that included over 315 athletes in attendance. Between The Lines organized those baseball events in association with the Fort Wayne Sports Corporation. The proceeds that were dedicated to Between The Lines from this one-day event were allocated towards the baseball activities in San Salvador.
Inspired by Wedge's actions towards youth development, Between The Lines and many of the camp instructors stepped up to the plate to match his example. University of St. Francis baseball coaches, FW Physical Therapy, Zach Walton, Keith Potter, Manny Lopez, Dave Doster, Eric Millhouse, Todd Fleetwood, Matt Harmon, and Jim Shovlin all decided to donate their proceeds to meet the necessary financial goal for Between The Lines to participate in the trip. Wedge donates his personal time to make a difference on a local level.
Between The Lines takes Wedge's motivation and spreads it to an international level. However, the Northeast Indiana baseball community was not yet satisfied! On top of assisting with raising the funds, the Churubusco Youth Little League stepped up to the plate and graciously donated baseball and softball equipment to take down to the National Baseball Federation in El Salvador. "When you see how excited these young athletes are to have these resources being donated specifically for them, you can do nothing but smile at the generosity of the Churubusco leadership," Kimmel said. "The equipment is so not only appreciated but also utilized extremely well by the El Salvador National Baseball Federation. It's a gift that sends a strong message." Between The Lines is continuing to develop a solid rapport with the El Salvador Federation and many other international federations and organizations across the world. "This is another step in developing some solid international relationships for our own baseball community here in Northeast Indiana," Kimmel said. "It all starts with leaders like Eric Wedge and good people like we have in the Churubusco Little League organization." For further details on the San Salvador Missions trip please go to www.thepointechurch.net or www.btlsports.org.
Last Updated ( Thursday, 06 March 2008 )