Building the best with baseball

UC is teaming with the Cincinnati Reds and MLB Players Association to help local high school athletes score when it comes to college admission testing

 

By Melanie Schefft
513-556-5213

Photos/Joseph Fuqua II/UC Creative Services and Cincinnati Reds

July 13, 2018

Sliding into home plate on a college baseball field is the stuff of dreams for many high school ball players.

But while athletic prowess alone may excite an NCAA scout, it’s what players score on college admission tests that get them on that field.

In an effort to help bridge the gap between high school and college for many talented Cincinnati Public School (CPS) students, the University of Cincinnati recently partnered with the Cincinnati Reds, Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association to create “Home Base,” a summer camp for students who play for their high school baseball or softball teams –– helping dreams of college become a reality.

“‘Home Base’ is a win-win-win for UC, the Reds Community Fund and CPS, as it turns a free weeklong summer camp into fun with benefits,” says Alan Wight, liasison for the Office for Innovation and Community Partnership (OICP) in UC’s College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services (CECH).

The effort also aligns with the university's strategic plan, Next Lives Here, with its CPS Strong pathway to significantly increase the number of UC graduates from the Cincinnati Public Schools via pipeline programs, mentoring innovative research and academic support services.

“CPS athletes attending the new camp –– many of whom are unfamiliar with college as first generation students –– spend a week on campus sleeping in resident dorms, eating in campus dining halls and taking valuable ACT test preparation classes designed to improve their college entrance exam scores.

“And it doesn’t stop there,” adds Wight.

“Every afternoon after dinner the students are bused to the P&G MLB Cincinnati Reds Youth Academy in Roselawn for three hours of baseball and softball training and conditioning, working with professional Reds personnel.”

Red’s retired left-handed pitcher Tom Browning greets students as they arrive in UC’s AACRC, sharing stories of his own struggles as a young ballplayer for Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York.

As students arrived on campus, Reds retired left-handed pitcher Tom Browning spoke to the crowd of 46 high school students sharing personal stories of his struggles and triumphs as he played baseball through college and into the major leagues.

Along with daily mindfulness yoga, business etiquette classes and nightly training throughout the week, Wight says the on-campus experience gives these summer campers a leg up on getting into college so they can realize their dreams. “By the end of the week these kids can actually see themselves here as UC college students in the future,” Wight adds.

Janet Staderman, program director of UC Communiversity and coordinator of the academic instructors for ACT test preparation, says the program’s primary focus is to make a positive impact on the students’ ability to do well on their college entrance exams.

It also aims to help build a stronger sense of self-confidence –– sometimes the biggest thing lacking for many of these kids. 

“After the program, UC and the Reds office look forward to the improvement not only in the practice ACT scores, but in the students' enhanced enthusiasm for college after the immersive campus experience," says Staderman.