SplinterWALK

SplinterWALK Project with Splinters Baseball

Improving communities through baseball is the mission statement of Splinters Baseball Academy. We are confident in our ability to teach baseball and remain up to date on cutting edge training techniques to improve that ability. Our passion to help young players develop beyond their own expectations is what drives us on and off of the baseball field. It is with this same passion we have put together our SplinterWALK Project.
With our SplinterWALK Project, we seek opportunities to perform community improvement activities that help our young players understand the value of a strong community. These activities are both visual and non-visual improvements. The current mayor of Salinas, Dennis Donahue, had it right when he campaigned under the slogan “Imagine a Great City” and our SplinterWALK Project is an effort to make help that a reality. Our SplinterWALK Project will focus the efforts of our young players into areas that will make our community a better place to be.
SplinterWALK Project will perform community improvements on two weekends per month based on the participation level. As the attendance and reputation grows, we will be expanding our efforts consistent with that growth. We will select areas based on recommendations from local businesses, community leaders and our sponsors, as well as where we see a need.

Primary Objective

The primary objective of SplinterWALK is to improve communities through equipping athletes with the skills and confidence to make a difference in the community and lives around them. We've designed and will continue to develop more ways for our SplinterWALK program to realize this objective.

A. One way we aim to meet the objective of our SplinterWALK Project is to help young players develop a sense of pride in the communities in which they live. We believe that players who spend more time working in improvement aspects will heighten their awareness of conditions of their community. This will help the players long after they have participated in the SplinterWALK Project. In our society’s current climate, often young players are reluctant to take notice when the people in our community are being neglected. In keeping in line with our primary objectives, this project will provide players the opportunity to assist in aspects that improve the feel of our community. Projects that will focus on the people of our community may include hospital visits, shelter volunteering, military family correspondence, charity fundraising and animal rescue.

B. Another means to achieving the objective of this project is to improve the actual condition of the community. An improved community must have changes on the surface along with the pride the members of the community have. With the efforts of our young players, we do plan to see tangible results in improving the appearance of the community. Examples of this type of project would include graffiti abatement, litter removal; beach or neighborhood clean up and recycle days.

C. Finally, another way we're working towards the objective of our SplinterWALK Project is to provide our services to particular socio- economic areas that may not have the means to pay for baseball instruction financially. Splinters will exchange the hours a player participates in our SplinterWALK Project for enrollment in our baseball instructional programs. Exchange rates will vary depending on the various programs Splinters offers. We strongly believe that the players who “earn” their lessons this way will have a deeper value of the baseball work as well.

Secondary Objective

Complimenting the primary objective, Splinters Baseball Academy has developed a Secondary objectives with supporting plans to introduce Splinters Baseball Academy to the communities on the central coast; have sponsors to underwrite the cost of the SplinterWALK projects; be a positive advertisement for both Splinters and the sponsors of the SplinterWALK project.

These secondary objective will be achieved by the design of our projects. When performing our SplinterWALK Project all team members will be given a T shirt with a Splinters Baseball Academy logo across the front and SplinterWALK Project Team Member across the back. This will allow Splinters Baseball Academy to be seen and recognized while performing positive community improvements.

With some of the sponsorship packages available, sponsors will have the opportunity to add their logo on the T shirt and that will allow them to receive the same advertisement advantages. For bigger projects, banners will be placed along the perimeter of the project where sponsors will again have the opportunity to have their name/ logo associated with quality community improvement activities. The funds received from sponsors will allow more SplinterWALK participants to attend Splinters Baseball instructional programs as well as covering the cost of such community improvements. Our plan is to grow this program into a staple in our community for players looking to better themselves on and off of the baseball field.

Community Involvement

“Imagine a Great City.” It is true that a city is not judged by the size of the buildings, the condition of the roads or the amount of produce grown. It is the people within the city who have the responsibility of making a city great. It is with Splinters Baseball Academy and with SplinterWALK Project that we are looking to attract a wide group to be involved that process. We are providing local businesses the opportunity to contribute to this program.

As a local business or member of our community you have a vested interest in making our community more desirable. Splinters Baseball Academy would like your help in providing this opportunity to young players in our community. In particular, players that come from homes where the family finances do not allow athletic instruction and positive influences may be few and far between.

We have two ways for players to benefit from our SplinterWALK Project. The hours a player performs on behalf of SplinterWALK Project will be accumulated and can be exchanged for baseball instruction or Splinters merchandise.The exchange rate will vary depending on the various programs the player may choose. The other opportunity created by the SplinterWALK Project is our scholarship plan. Based more for our camps and various programs throughout the year, this plan will allow players from underprivileged areas an opportunity to attend our programs at no monetary charge. The players for the scholarships will be selected from the recommendations of local leaders in our community such as guidance counselors, teachers, youth pastors, and little league coaches.