Lexington, KY - When Lexington resident John Wilson reflects back on the last several years of his life, many of his happiest memories center on baseball. He loved the sense of accomplishment that came from improving his game, traveling the country with his teammates to compete, and the raw emotions that resulted from both the wins and the losses.
And now that his professional career is over, Wilson's biggest desire is for others to experience all those things.
After doing a little research on an organization called Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI), Wilson and his wife, Jenny, took to heart its motto of giving kids "the opportunity to succeed on the field and in life," and it seemed natural for them to try and bring such a program to Lexington.
"John and I didn't understand why it should cost families so much money for the kids to play a game that they loved," Jenny said, noting how the equipment, training, lessons, uniforms and travel expenses to play on some local teams can add up to more than $1,500 a season. "We felt that there were hundreds of baseball players in Lexington going without a team for the summer, simply because they couldn't afford it.
We wanted to give those kids a place to play baseball, be part of a team, and give them something constructive to do over the summer break."
Fortunately baseball was something that came natural to the Wilsons. The couple, who had first developed an instructional organization called the Lexington Baseball School in 2006, decided to expand the local options for kids to participate in the sport to a whole new level when they officially started a local chapter of RBI this year.
The program, which has more than 200 leagues nationwide and celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2009, organizes regular baseball games for youth-aged males and females, and provides equipment free of charge. RBI also takes pride in the fact that it goes beyond the game of baseball to also encourage academic achievement, teach life lessons and build self-esteem.
"Right now, it's difficult for kids to play (on baseball leagues) because of the costs," John said. "Due to the expenses of traveling teams, baseball has catered mainly to white collar families. But (RBI) is a way to circle around and recapture kids whose participation levels have fallen off due to that reason."
John, 31, grew up in Southern California, and was recruited to play college ball at the University of Kentucky. He signed with the New York Mets during his junior year in college in 1998, and after several years of playing the sport, he ended up back in Lexington. After retiring as a professional player, Wilson didn't want to give up baseball altogether and formed the Lexington Baseball School.
While the school, which offers individual lessons and travel teams options, fulfilled some of John's yearnings to continue incorporating baseball into his life, after four years of running the company, he still wanted to do something more. For the Wilsons, organizing a Lexington-based RBI program through Major League Baseball would be a way to reach any interested child, from any background.
"When you're working with kids, you meet so many from different walks of life.
Some of the kids John would give lessons to attended upper class private schools. Then others were selling old baseball cards or whatever they could just to get enough money to buy a new glove or bat," Jenny said.
"Seeing those kids, and how much they loved the game, prompted us to start a Lexington RBI."
The equipment that RBI uses is sent from such groups as Nike and Major League Baseball. Local donations are also being accepted.
The Wilsons have arranged a partnership between the local RBI and Lexington Parks and Recreation, which has donated space at Douglass Park on Georgetown Street for the organization to use two nights a week for games. The couple has been working with social workers to recruit kids at schools throughout the city to participate.
While the RBI program was originally designed for boys and girls aged 13-18, for now the Wilsons are focusing on boys ages 13-15 due to the lack of middle school teams in Lexington.
"We thought it would be a very positive program for the ages they are offering," said Darliene Haley of Lexington Parks and Recreation. Haley added that the program will provide positive opportunities for youth to look up to adult role models while also participating in an extracurricular activity. In addition to the RBI teams, Parks and Recreation will also provide baseball instruction at Douglass Park for children ages 5 and up.
Since the Wilsons started sign-ups for RBI last year, they have had more than 50 kids register, and they hope to get a softball division started for the 2011 season.
"It will be more like pick-up baseball games, but there is a formal registration process," Jenny said. "We're planning on turning up the music (during games) and having fun Ö The creation of RBI is to be able to all play together, and be available (for the kids) as a resource."
The Wilsons said RBI is similar to Little League teams, but parents won't be recruited to volunteer. Instead, helping hands will come from such groups as the Lexington baseball club, the UK baseball team and even members of the Lexington Legends. RBI is also looking for other local volunteers that would be willing to get involved in its inaugural season and help supervise practices and games.
"Our long-term goal is to get 800-900 kids involved," John said, adding that there will be a tournament in Cincinnati at the end of the season against other RBI teams. "You don't have to have a bat or a glove; all you have to do is just show up."
One of the Lexington RBI's first activities is non-baseball related. After discovering how low Kentucky's ACT scores were compared to other states across the country, the Wilsons decided to offer free ACT prep courses through RBI in late February and early March to prospective high school RBI players. The organization will also give away a college scholarship each year to an individual that embodies academic achievement and leadership skills.
"Our goal is that RBI will show families in Lexington and surrounding communities that playing organized sports doesn't have to cost money," Jenny said.
"It's about providing good quality baseball instruction, having a good time, and even giving them the competition and exposure that they wouldn't receive anywhere else."
RBI's season will run from May through August, and approval for the program will come through the Fayette County school systems. While newsletters have been sent out to several Lexington schools for students to register for RBI, forms can also be requested by e-mailing lexingtonrbi@gmail.com or calling (859) 619-4777.