Local youth raising money to play ball
Published on May 10th, 2006
STONEHAM, MA - While the lefty pitcher can confidently rely on his ability to dig deep on the baseball diamond, he unfortunately can’t say the same of his pockets.
And so St. Patrick’s eighth grader Zachary Brian hopes the larger community will help him raise the $4,500 needed to take his athletic talents overseas for a head-to-head baseball competition against youngsters from 28 countries across the globe.
According to the 14-year-old, he was recently accepted to participate in the international contest, which will be held in Holland, as a representative of the U.S. delegation.
The baseball tournament, sponsored by the non-profit People to People Sports Ambassador Program, is part of the non-profit organization’s larger mission to encourage a mutual respect amongst youngsters from different cultures and backgrounds.
“I’m really excited. I’ve never been overseas or to Europe before, so it’s going to be a lot of fun,” reflected the young Stonehamite. “I’m looking forward to meeting kids from all over the world and seeing how people live in Holland and in different cultures.”
Celebrating its 50 year anniversary, People to People was created by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in the hopes of fostering a greater understanding and acceptance between citizens across the globe.
Leading the nation during a global standoff between the world’s two superpowers, with the threat of nuclear annihilation looming overhead, the President believed that ordinary citizens would force their governments to abandon such destructive policies — if they could only learn first-hand how much all people shared in common.
With that worthy goal in mind, the organization’s Sports Ambassador program, a cousin to its Student Ambassador counterpart, includes only those candidates who are thought to emulate the responsible and open attitude needed to bring about such a change.
And the program’s stringent acceptance process is designed to ensure that its participants reflect those qualities.
“I went to a meeting where they decided whether I was fit to be a sports ambassador. They took me into this room to be interviewed and asked me all these questions,” recalled Brian, who first received a letter inviting him to apply for the program.
According to People to People spokeswoman Anina Johnson, while the interview process is perhaps the most intimidating part of the application phase, candidates also have to write an essay and obtain three recommendations before they can be considered for the program.
Much like the Student Ambassador Program, where students receive invitations based on academic exploits, the Sports Ambassador Program seeks candidates who excel on the playing field, Johnson explained.
But while those talents might assist a candidate in obtaining an initial invitation, the organization is ultimately focussed on locating youngsters with a maturity level that reflects its larger mission.
“Your ability to play a sport isn’t what’s important. It’s you’re level of maturity. For the [student program], we like to say, ‘We’re not looking for the 4.0 student, we’re looking for the 4.0 person,’” Johnson said, during a phone interview from People to People’s west-coast headquarters in Spokane, WA.
To make a donation to help Brian pay the $4,500 tuition for the 10-day baseball tournament in Holland, which will also include a two-day training course and cultural trips within the country, residents can send a check written out to Zack Brian.
The St. Patrick school student’s address is 30 Isabella Road in Stoneham.
For more information about the Sports Ambassador Program, logon to www.sportsambassadors.org.
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