As a sophomore, Hugo was on the original baseball team created by athletic director Dion Evans.
With little participation in the baseball program at Madison Park Academy, Hugo knew he needed to recruit new players to ensure that baseball would continue during his junior year.
He began campaigning on campus, rallying students who had previously turned down opportunities to play sports. As part of this, Hugo displayed the photos of the newly-donated baseball equipment that the school had received from Pitch In For Baseball & Softball and the Oakland Athletics.
“The donation allowed us to show the growth and viability of baseball at such a small school,” Evans said. “This generated a buzz on campus that allowed teachers to want to coach, and more first time students to trust the opportunity before them.”
Hugo became a solid leader and a go-to player during tough games throughout the season.
Located in Oakland, CA, Madison Park Academy estimates that about 20% of kids show up to tryouts without a glove. The school is located in an area of Oakland that is primarily an under-served population. Many kids would love a chance to play sports, but do not have access to the necessary equipment.
The team had recently received some support from the Oakland Athletics, who donated baseballs to the school. Madison Park Academy applied for and received its first-ever equipment donation from PIFBS in 2019.
When Felix was a freshman, he was a participant on the football team. He suffered an arm injury during the season, and ultimately decided that football was not the right fit for him.
Felix had stopped playing sports at the school until the formation of the baseball team brought him back to the MPA athletic department. The donations from PIFBS and the Oakland A’s assisted in his ability to believe in the viability of the baseball program.
PIFBS is always looking for donations of new or lightly-used baseball or softball equipment to help kids everywhere get on the field. If you would like to help, please email us at info@pifbs.org.