AKRON, Ohio — Kids were learning, catching and hitting on the baseball field in Akron today. Former high school and collegiate baseball players from around the city volunteered their time to get kids outside and moving at the first-ever "Akron Baseball Project."
Creator Donny Brooks started the program because he said he saw a need for kids to learn America's past time in his city.
"Akron needs baseball, and I want baseball to be more than a recreation or something to do that keeps you away out of the streets, to get into bad situations if you're focused on the game and your education," Brooks said.
Brooks said for him, keeping his grades up means the ability to continue to play baseball. He hopes students are encouraged to not only master the game but master their studies.
"Baseball is 90% mental, 10% physical. I've been loving the game since I was 4 years old," Brooks said.
Brooks was joined on the field by Akron Firefighter Marlon Sommerville, who also played collegiate baseball.
Sommerville said he loves volunteering his time to teach kids the sport he loves.
"Baseball was one of the reasons I got a chance to get a college education. I mean, I always was a good student, but having the luxury of being a good athlete really helped me get to college and get a good education, so I'm thankful for baseball," Sommerville said.
Young players at the "Akron Baseball Project" not only learned new skills on the diamond but made new friends before school starts again.
"This opens doors. This gives them an opportunity into other sports. This gives them opportunity to collaborate and make friends with each other, which I think is the most important thing," Sommerville said.
Next summer, Brooks plans to host more camps in June and July. To contact Donny to get involved with the "Akron Baseball Project" with your kids, you can contact him at donnybrooks110@gmail.com or 234-417-1239.
Watch live and local news any time:
Download the News 5 Cleveland app now for more stories from us, plus alerts on major news, the latest weather forecast, traffic information and much more. Download now on your Apple device here, and your Android device here.
You can also catch News 5 Cleveland on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, YouTube TV, DIRECTV NOW, Hulu Live and more. We're also on Amazon Alexa devices. Learn more about our streaming options here.
