The Minneapolis School-Based Program has helped nearly 200 youth teams in the Twin Cities.
PIFBS has partnered with the Minnesota Twins since 2015, when the Twins funded the expansion of PIFBS’ School-Based Program into St. Paul/Minneapolis school districts.
PIFBS + Minnesota Twins
From 2017-2020, the Minnesota School-Based program has impacted 172 baseball and softball teams serving 3,000 kids, with 24 teams also receiving donations in 2021. More than 50% of students who participated in the programs showed improvements in grades and attendance.
In February of 2017, PIFBS coordinated a project for the grand opening of the joint Twins/Phillies’ Academy in Boca Chica, Dominican Republic, providing more than $25,000 in equipment to local leagues.
For the past several years, PIFBS has worked with Wilson Sporting Goods to design and ship branded gloves to children in the Twins RBI program. The Twins RBI program serves nearly 6,000 youth in the Twin Cities, providing an opportunity for inner city youth to participate in baseball and softball and learn teamwork, positive sportsmanship, and social responsibility.
In 2021, Dave St. Peter, President and CEO of the Minnesota Twins, and Twins Manager of Community Relations & Youth Engagement Josh Ortiz joined the PIFBS panel to discuss the Minnesota School-Based Program and the life-changing impact of giving kids the chance to play ball.
Impact
Angelo
Johnson High School
St. Paul, MN
Angelo was a freshman at Johnson High School who had always wanted to play baseball, but he never had the funds to participate. One day he saw the players carrying equipment into the school and asked about it, and they told him that thanks to the Twins program the baseball team would all be getting new gloves. Angelo wanted a chance to play so badly that the school agreed to set him up doing jobs with the custodial staff in order to cover the fees required to play. Angelo accepted, worked hard, and despite never playing before he even pitched a few games for the Varsity team!
Lena
Washburn High School
Minneapolis, MN
Lena’s original glove was way too small and worn to use for high school softball. When the school received equipment from the Twins School-Based Program, Lena was finally able to use a quality glove that was the correct size for her. Lena’s play improved greatly, and in fact was so good that she was voted the Most Outstanding Defensive Player that year on Washburn High School’s softball team.
Eliana
Patrick Henry High School
Minneapolis, MN
Eliana played for the Patrick Henry High School softball team for all four years, and developed both personally and athletically from her time with the team. She was soft-spoken, but her competitiveness showed on the diamond. Each year she grew into a leadership role, and encouraged more girls to join the program. Her efforts, plus the donated equipment, allowed more girls to experience the game. Eliana also applied for the Minnesota Twins RBI College scholarship fund. Her dedication payed off, as she was selected as one of the winners who would receive $2,000 per year for up to four years of enrollment in post-secondary education at a college of her choice.
Southwest
High School
Minneapolis, MN
Southwest High School had twin 10th grade girls who were homeless. They were outstanding athletes, but had no equipment when they joined the softball team. With the grant from the Twins School-Based program, the school was able to give the girls gloves and apparel to use, and they played the whole season, even showing up to watch the Varsity team in the postseason. Being part of a team provided the girls a much-needed sense of community and belonging..
Harding
High School
Maplewood, MN
Harding High School had an athlete who was dealing with a dangerous and traumatic situation in his personal life. His coach shared that one thing that really helped him get through it all was the support of his teammates. The boy would show up every day at practice and could just be a kid, helping him relax and step back from the problems in his life. He had lost all of his baseball equipment when his house burned down, and he had no means to replace it. Without the new equipment the school received from the grant, he may not have been able to participate. By the end of the season, he was in a much better place. His coach shared that he believed the student would not “have dealt with this ordeal nearly as well as he did if he had not been a part of our family and team.”
Spring Training
Equipment Distribution Event
Fort Myers, FL
Thanks to the support of Fort Myers-area donors Dave and Cheryl Copham, PIFBS and the Minnesota Twins held an equipment distribution event at the Twins Spring Training home. The event served to donate approximately $36,000 worth of baseball and softball gear to benefit 1,250 children across 80 teams in Lee County. Kids, coaches, and families were invited to participate in the event on the Twins first day of Spring Training as well as the Twins open house for the local community. Minor league players and Twins mascot T.C. joined in on the fun, helping the kids open the gear and try it out for the first time.