As the Reds Rookie Success League (RRSL) enters its seventh season, this summer aims to be an exciting time for both the RRSL and the Reds Community Fund (RCF) as major changes for Reds Rookie take shape thanks to Major League Baseball. Cincinnati will be one of sixteen pilot cities to conduct Major League Baseball's newest venture, Jr. RBI. Their mission is to re-introduce, revive, and rebuild interest and participation in baseball and softball among underserved youth by driving home the values of life. Two minor changes to the already strong Reds Rookie program will be to introduce the game to six and seven year olds and to add a more competitive level of play for kids who show the skills and ability to play at the next level.
Also new to this year will be our introduction of a new franchise in Dayton Ohio, in partnership with the city of Dayton Recreation. This will bring our total number of franchises to five and bring our character-based education and introductory baseball instruction to over 1,700 kids.
The RRSL is not about winning and losing but about cultivating good character. The six week program will be a learning experience for the volunteer coaches and the children involved in the program. Volunteer Coaches will introduce these young people to the game of baseball by utilizing the "Six Stars of Success" - Cooperation, Integrity, Respect, Education, Determination and Spirit (CI REDS).
The flagship location for the RRSL will once again be at Schmidt Fields, located in Cincinnati's East End neighborhood. The RRSL-Butler County will begin its third season at Waterworks Park in Fairfield, the Prasco RRSL of Warren County will begin its second season at the Mason Sports Park and the Louisville franchise will use Wyandotte Park once again and the new franchise in Dayton will take place at Kettering Fields.
The Reds Rookie program will usher in a new commission this year and will continue to offer the Reds Rookie Competitive League to kids with advanced baseball skill under the new umbrella of Jr. RBI. The Competitive League will feature coaches from the Cincinnati Steam, the tri-state's representative in the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League (GLSCL) who were the 2008 wood bat champions of the GLSCL. This six-week camp will host 150 young players ages 9-13 at Schmidt Field as they build their skill for competition in RBI, high school and beyond.
To find out more about the Reds Rookie Success League, contact Adam Shaffer at (513) 765-7020 or ashaffer@reds.com.
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