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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 12, 2014)
3 Street roots S e p t 12, 2014 LJJL z JL àj Σ Batter up! Friends of Baseball's Nova Newcomer talks about supporting youths through America's favorite pastime BY ISRAEL BAYER S T A F F W R IT E R treet Boots recently sat down with Nova Newcomer, a lover of baseball, and the first Executive Director with Friends of Baseball to talk baseball and community. Friends of Baseball, a nonprofit founded in 2005, works to not only promote the game of baseball and softball, they work to einpower kids and adults of all ages and backgrounds to engage with the gam e.. From coaches clinics to player equipment arid scholarships to field maintenance, Newcomer and Friends of Baseball are working to give the game new life in Portland and throughout the state of Oregon and Southwest Washington. S something along those lines. holding the sport back? Why does this sport get played? What do you see when you see kids come play? What are the challenges you’re facing?’ People are really excited that there is an organization that wants to support the game of baseball, especially because they’re busy coaching lads, or putting teams together. N.N.: Exactly. The idea that sports can provide a safe place for lads to experience Baseball. failure and come back from it is important. We couple our interest in getting kids Nova Newcomer: involved in baseball and softball with an' Our mission is to annual cpaches clinic. We go to the coaches, I.B.: For baseball fans and philanthropist provide opportunities who really are leaders and mentors in the out there, how do they get involved? for kids to succeed on community. Many times we don’t think of and off the field. So, coaches that way, but we know that some of N.N.: I think that what Friends of there are lots of them spend a lot of time with the kids. We Baseball is giving is a direct ownership of leagues and teams that actually elevate that role and say, ‘This is an - tiie future of the sport. We are saying that important role you’re playing, here are some | may have a focus more baseball and softball have a place in this around the, competitive tools and resources to lead these kids and community and that we want to elevate that help them not only in baseball or softball,. aspects of baseball and story and have it play its rightful part. softball, which we b ut in life. Wefre actuahv ia ^ c h in g j>jnem bffsha> support, but. our _reaU,,QV . To me, it’s about looking at what baseball ariv^W e ^e^^O T ^h rb e ’developingSoSie^ d oes in th e com m unity from a slightly [m ission is reaching membership benefits, different perspective. underserved kids so discounts and perks We did a field improvement emergency they have access to from some of our grant for a field in Kenton in North play. They may choose community partners. "T o have M fie ld th a t the kids Portland, where during the snowstorm to go on and play more We are really are excited to pla y on, that sortie people had gone out with ATVs on competitively, but we focusing on having the field. It was about three weeks before a ctually b r ia fs people out to just want them to have direct sponsorship in the opportunity to take opening day, and the fields weren’t safe to the park and has people the community that play on. ■ ' ■ ■ f ig ' the field and learn supports kid s being . coxxus&uxie together. Those We did an emergency grant, and basically from the game and able to play the sport. are, |o me, fBe hinds o f goals said, “We’ll authorize $500 for these apply that to their lives. So even at the lowest repairs, and we’ll go up to $1,000if the th a t.a ll of ns have, whether We serve Oregon and Southwest level, you might be Washington and, since our founding in 2005, community matches it.” Within a week, we we lik e sports or not. ■. ■ sponsoring a glove, or were able to get that $1,000. we have served around 40,000 kids through a player fee in a place It got me thinking about what investing in a number of programs: field improvement where it’s really these fields does for a community. For a grants, some scholarships. We’ve done heeded. park like Kenton, to have a field that the equipment distributions, both small and kids are excited to play on, that actually large scale. We actually had a couple of I.B.: From a youhg woman's perspective, equipment distributions through Adidas that brings people out to the park and has are there opportunities for people to engage people commune together. Those are, to allowed us to keep some product here for with the work that you're doing? me, the kinds of goals that all of us have, kids in Oregon, but also to distribute them whether we like sports or not. nationwide. We made some distributions to N.N.: Softball is definitely a place for groups such as Roberto’s Kids in Puerto I.B.: Is Oregon a good place for baseball? girls. All of the younger levels of baseball Rico and Harlem RBI. are coed, so more girls are certainly N.N.: I think Oregon’s a great place for welcome to participate, an d if there are I.B.: One of the top reasons that kids do not baseball. I think that the professional financial issues, we’re an organization to . play baseball or softball is due to financial challenges are clear and known, but to me, make it happen for them. You know, there s ineligibility... from our vantage point - when we look like- was an amazing pitcher in the Little League a program like Oregon State University. The World Series this year, not the softball world J N.N.: For baseball and softball strength of that baseball program, and the series, who was a girl who threw a shut-out, specifically, it’s the combination of player fact that they are recruiting from th e . so baseball, is a placefor girls. fees and equipment. Some sports have a Northwest and bringing local kids in, 1 think What I’ve heard a lot of people say is, > little bit lower access to entry because it there’s a real case to be made that the sport baseball would be a natural sport for young doesn’t require specialized equipment; you just need a pair of shoes and access to a ball is thriving in Oregon. women to break through because there I think that what you’re seeing .nationwide of some sort. For the full set of gear and aren’t some of the natural physical around trends is that baseball is still the . player’s fees we’re talking around $200-250, limitations other sports can haye. I hope to number two sport for kids to play up until which is a lot for people trying to pay the see it in my lifetime. the age of nine, which is when basketball At the end of the day, making sure that bills. hits. people, that are new to our community know There are probably some things to look at I.B.: What is the importance of baseball that there is a reallygreat community- and understand, and I think there’s a need oriented opportunity to/get involved with. I and softball in our community? tp go out and do that. What is the state of want to see really diverse and inclusive baseball and softball in Oregon? We want to N.N.: Froth someone who loves baseball, communities out at the ballpark. I think be part of the organization that asks those it’s an easy question to answer. If I were to that’s really important. It’s the future of this questions. We’ve been out talking with high think about it from someone who maybe sport, and it’s the future of all the sports in school coaches and long-time baseball folks, doesn’t understand the sport as well or love and just having an organization like ours t our city. _______ it as much as I do, it’s about perseverance. that doesn’t have a specific team or To learn more about Friends of Baseball go It’s also about failure. The best players in program bent, we can kind of, in a very to www.friendsofbaseball.org the world fail 70 percent of the time in curious way, ask, ‘Is there something baseball. Israel Bayer: Tell us about Friends of Nova Newcomer I.B.: There's a great Ted Williams quote
