Beisbal y Libros

In the United States, it's Baseball and Books. In the Dominican Republic, it's Beisbol y Libros. In both countries, it's about pursuing a dream and an education. It's about the future.

The Mission

Our philosophy is based on a simple idea: Use the Dominican love of baseball to encourage children to stay in school, get an education, and prepare for a future that may or may not include the bright lights of the major leagues. Our message is simple: school and baseball go hand-in-hand.

The Place

Beisbol y Libros is run in connection with two public schools in Consuelo, a small town in the Province of San Pedro de Marcoris. Eighty-two miles east of Santo Domingo, many of Consuelo's 60,000 residents work on nearby sugar plantations. Consuelo has produced many big leaguers such as Pepe Frias, Julio Franco, Alfredo Griffin, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Ramirez, and Rico Carty.

The School System

Consuelo is the home of Sister Lenore Gibb, who has lived and worked in Consuelo for the last 40 years. With the Grey Sisters of the Immaculate Conception she oversees a model school system that is highly regarded throughout the Dominican Republic.

The Program

Beisbol y Libros is directly linked to the public school system. The children understand that in order to participate in the baseball program, which allows them access to professionally trained coaches and recently built facilities, they must do one thing: stay in school.

Over the last four years, Beisbol y Libros has trained 15 Dominican teachers as coaches and 2 full time Peace Corps volunteers. There are five boys' baseball teams and two girls' teams with a total of 400 kids ages 5-16 enrolled in the program.

The Background

Baseball is a national obsession in the Dominican Republic. this small Caribbean nation has produced dozens of major league stars, but there are few programs designed exclusively to link youth baseball to academic achievement and the importance of school. That is why Beisbol y Libros was created. And why you help is needed.

Get Involved

1. Donate Equipment: Spring Training Baseball accepts equipment donations year-round from the players and families who participate in our programs.  The items that the program needs most are balls and gloves.  Baseball bats donations are welcome but are difficult to ship to the Dominican and also last a long time, so the need is not as great.  
2. Cash Donation: Checks can be made out to “Elementary Baseball” and can be mailed to Dan Spring
3. Donate Frequent Flier Miles: One of the greatest expenses the program incurs is airline travel for the American coaches and administrators.  Donating extra frequent flier miles goes a long way to continuing to make the program a success.