An excerpt From USA TODAY article, April 21st, 2024
by Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY
Trying to make a difference
While the Black population in Major League Baseball has plummeted to 5.7%, its lowest since 1955 – the year after Jackie Robinson retired – Diamond Allegiance, an organization trying to make baseball affordable to everyone, just committed $1 billion to help revolutionize club baseball.
The organization is committed to making baseball accessible to everyone, providing scholarship and financial assistance. They want to make sure the families who aren’t spending $20,000 for their kids to be in showcase games can still be recognized by college and pro recruiters.
“We need to help change the model for these kids,” University of Michigan baseball coach Tracy Smith tells USA TODAY Sports. “We need to help reduce the cost and improve the effectiveness of travel sports in baseball and softball. We have such a huge disconnect right now.’’
Sandy Ogg, founder of Diamond Allegiance, says the goal is to simply create a more accessible and affordable travel baseball ecosystem. They want to reduce family costs, and increase youth participation in underrepresented communities. While the Black population in baseball is the lowest in nearly 70 years, there is an even lower percentage of Black players in the college ranks.
They have also created an app called CURVE player development to help families get indoctrinated into the amateur system with an advisory staff that includes Clemson Coach Erik Bakich, former Oregon State coach Pat Casey, and University of Florida Coach Kevin O’Sullivan.
“We want to help as many kids as possible,” Ogg says. “We want to change the business model and provide real and true direction for kids. We have a huge disconnect between showcases and minority-owned travel ball teams.
“We not going to turn kids away.”
What frustrates Smith and collegiate coaches is that families are sold on the belief that if they don’t spend thousands of dollars on showcase events, they won’t be scouted, and will never have a chance to play baseball higher than the high school level.
That should never be the case, Smith and Ogg say.
“They have sold the myth forever that exposure equals recruitment,” Smith says. “They say that in order to be seen and get the maximum exposure, you’re going to have to be in the right tournaments, fly to Jupiter, Fla., and stay for a week or 10 days, and all of the college coaches and pro scouts will be there to see 471 of these kids. It’s insane.”
The plan, Ogg says, is to organize travel ball, make it more local and regionalized, and allow everyone the opportunity to play without families needing to take out second mortgages.
“Everyone’s trying to solve the same problem,” Ogg says, “but we’re all working independently. The studies are telling us that 97% of college baseball rosters are from select baseball travel teams. So, if you don’t have access to travel teams, you won’t be playing college baseball or softball.
“We want this foundation to make sure that if you’re good enough to make a team, money shouldn’t ever be a factor.
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