Valley Christian baseball has a bond that goes deeper than baseball. A bond that has modified their crew utterly since serving within the Dominican Republic.
“We went there as a baseball crew, however we got here again as a household,” head coach Vince Lagatta stated.
The ENGAGE program at Valley Christian is a program that encourages its college students to go on a mission journey to serve their neighborhood, whether or not it’s regionally, again dwelling in sure states, or globally to make an affect.
College students at Valley Christian have two weeks of spring break. One week is devoted to their enterprise journey and the opposite to their leisure. The selection is as much as the scholar when and the place they determine to go throughout this week.
“Now we have all the time had a requirement for companies for our college students. We (Valley Christian) felt it will be extra significant to have extra college students do it collectively,” Athletic Director Greg Haagsma stated.
The Valley Christian baseball crew, mother and father and workers got here collectively to determine to take their crew on a highway journey collectively as an alternative of spreading the crew out over a two-week interval for enterprise journeys. Your entire baseball crew needed to have greater than a crew bond, however to create a brotherhood on and off the sphere.
“We needed to make a journey with our crew the place we might construct brotherhood and neighborhood,” heart fielder Brock Johnson stated. “But additionally use the presents that God has given us to go and serve in the way in which that we all know how. So the Dominican Republic was the proper place.
The Valley Christian baseball crew has partnered with Two Twelve Worldwide of Mesa. Their firm had already organized comparable journeys and charted Valley's keep, serving to them attain their vacation spot.
On the finish of the Valley, his mission was to give you a ministry and do it in many various ways in which might affect the neighborhood within the Dominican Republic as he envisioned. The baseball crew held a donation drive in December the place they had been in a position to acquire over 1,000 items of used baseball gear from their neighborhood.
“We introduced them down in 18 huge 50-pound baggage. Sneakers, baggage, bats, gloves, clothes. All the pieces you’ll be able to consider,” Lagatta stated.
Soccer cleats have been an enormous problem for a lot of youngsters within the Dominican Republic who don't have entry to taking part in baseball.
“One had an Adidas on one foot and a Nike on the opposite,” Jackson stated.
The Trojans had been in a position to bless many of those kids with matching pairs in addition to many different gear they introduced.
Valley Christian additionally had the privilege of internet hosting a baseball camp for boys within the Dominican Republic, ages 11-17. The Trojans had been in a position to practice and work together with the kids and instantly felt a bond type between them over the times.
Jackson's first language is Spanish. Regardless of the language barrier that was there, he was in a position to talk and translate to the kids.
“It was a blessing and an thrilling expertise for me. Nevertheless it didn't matter with the language barrier. It didn't matter to us or them. We had been nervous at first, however after the primary day it felt like we had recognized one another for a very long time,” Jackson stated.
Valley Christian needed to indicate how grateful they had been for the area they had been ready to make use of to host the camp within the Dominican Republic by devoting a day to cleansing the amenities.
“We didn't ask them in any respect, we had been virtually prepared to start out cleansing and every little thing, besides these youngsters, began serving to us. Everybody grabbed trash baggage and gloves and went straight to work,” stated shortstop Gavin Smith.
After getting back from the Dominican Republic, Valley baseball coaches and athletes now have a brand new perspective on how unified their pitching has change into.
“No different crew has what we’ve. They didn't get to expertise that journey and expertise the issues we had been in a position to accomplish with the service. That bond, no different crew has that bond,” Jackson stated.
A visit to the Dominican Republic for Valley Christian baseball related them on a deeper stage. An unforgettable journey that ready them for the remainder of the season and life.
“The individuals who had been there have been completely affected. Each on our aspect and on the Dominican aspect. As we went there to affect them, they influenced us rather more. We got here away higher individuals due to it,” Lagatta stated.
