(1) LACK OF ACCESSIBILITY FOR UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES IN BASEBALL

Over the past several decades, high-level baseball and softball programming has become inaccessible to low to moderate-income families. According to USA Today (1), on average, American families pay $3,700 per child to participate on travel teams and upwards $8,000 annually to afford the ancillary costs associated with high-level baseball.

 

In addition, families pay hundreds of dollars for individualized training and are often left on their own during the college search process. As a result, underrepresented youth, particularly those in minority communities, have effectively been priced out of the sport, eliminating the many opportunities baseball and softball present to enrich the lives of youth. 

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(2) LACK OF PREPAREDNESS FOR UNDERREPRESENTED YOUTH IN THE GREATER PITTSBURGH REGION

Every young person deserves the chance to have a positive start toward adulthood, to learn and succeed to the level of their educational ability and reach their full potential in life. Through the FOCUS Program, Pittsburgh Hardball Academy provides encompassing academic enrichment, social enrichment, and career development offerings to help equip our participants with the tools and guidance to succeed in school and into adulthood.

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OUR VISION

Pittsburgh Hardball Academy strives to break down these barriers to increase diversity & inclusion in the games of baseball and softball while using the sports as a conduit to develop well-rounded young men & women and increase future academic and professional success. We want to create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive landscape across our region.

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RESULTS

Since the organization's inception in 2020, over 40 graduating seniors have accepted scholarships to continue their academic and athletic careers at the collegiate level. In addition, several of our graduates have completed college and continued their professional careers, on and off the field.