The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF) announced its third consecutive season of Dodgers RBI. LADF is expanding their programming to serve more than 6,000 youngsters at 35 locations including Compton, South Los Angeles and Venice.
Three Dodgers RBI sites will launch in Inglewood and, with the support of Nike, Dodgers RBI will also launch in East Los Angeles. The City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks and County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation South Agency are among the returning partners.
New partners include the City of Inglewood Department of Parks, Recreation and Library Services and County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation East Agency.
“Dodgers RBI seeks to promote greater inclusion of under-resourced youth, increase participation and interest in baseball and softball, encourage academic participation and achievement, stress healthy habits and wellness and focus on fun, teamwork and fair play,” said LADF executive director Nichol Whiteman said.
“We have increased youth participation in our league by 2,000 participants, well on our way to reaching 10,000 participants in the neighborhoods we serve.” LADF provides full uniforms and equipment for all participating players.
Program elements consist of baseball and softball clinics, education and health resources, recruitment and marketing assistance, community service activities, incentives and giveaways and various special events.
In addition, participants are eligible for regional tournaments and compete for an opportunity to play in the MLB RBI World Series, which is being held in Cincinnati this year. Dodgers alumni will make special appearances throughout the season’s program.
Events will include a youth baseball and softball clinic, carnival-style activities and autograph signings. RBI players will also participate in an online literacy challenge that will focus on tracking students’ reading and reward readers with game tickets and in-game recognition.
MLB’s RBI program has served an estimated 2 million youngsters since its inception. MLB and its clubs have designated more than $30 million worth of resources to the RBI program, and all 30 teams support RBI leagues. Dodgers outfielder Carl Crawford is an MLB RBI alumni.
For more information on MLB RBI, please visit www.MLB.com/RBI.
