August 2016 MARKETPLACEcontracosta.com 27 The City of Richmond recently awarded a $14,000 grant to support local community youth sports teams. The Wheelhouse Academy received $1,500 of that grant. “The Academy is obviously one of the more exciting leagues,” said Richmond Mayor Tom Butt. “We were really impressed by the trips they’re taking to get kids inspired to go to college through the framework of baseball. Great work they’re doing on that front.” Preparing kids for the demands of college is the Academy’s ultimate goal and Game Changers, a college development program offered by the Academy, does exactly that. “Grades are important in college sports and there are so few college scholarships for baseball,” said Gaskins. The Game Changers program offers a free tutoring program staffed by volunteer tutors from Berkeley High. “We had one player (Coleman) who had an amazing game,” said Gaskins. “He was hitting doubles and triples and he hit a home run and, at the end of game, the pitcher who gave the home run and went up to him and put a cuban necklace on his neck and said ‘very good player, very good player’. Everybody was stunned.” 13 year old Jonathan Coleman, the player who hit the home-run, had been playing baseball with El Cerrito Youth Baseball for five years when ‘Coach Thomas’ recruited him to play on the Game Changers team. “I was hesitant,” said Coleman’s mother Sonia. “And then I realized that he could only go so far through the rec league. Being with Game Changers has helped him a great deal as an athlete.” “It (Brazil) was a very humbling experience.” said Coleman. “We (Americans) take things for granted. It made me feel like I have a lot.” Coleman said that he witnessed Cuban children who had to beg for water and food or who had to walk on hard ground without shoes or socks. “Some of the boys had tape wrapped around their cleats,” he said. “The kids came back transformed,” said Gaskins. “They learned a new free way to play the game and also a certain respect.” Gaskins said that he plans to send players to Cuba every year and that he hopes to bring Cuban trainers to the U.S. “Baseball is probably, from a team sport perspective, the hardest sport to learn and master,” said Gaskins. “You need natural skills but you can’t just get by with your natural skills. You have to work hard on your craft. Our goal is get kids through college with baseball.” Wheelhouse AcAdemy of BAseBAll 5327 Jacuzzi Street, Suite 2E Richmond, CA (just off route 80 at Central Avenue) info@wheelhouseacademy.com Wheelhouseacademy.com, 510-525-2989 Wheelhouse Academy is a 501c3 nonprofit organization.
Contra Costa Marketplace - Aug 2016
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