Building Girls Softball in Baja, Brick by Brick

By Coach Carlos

So we had our first clinic this past Saturday.  It was super duper!  We had 47 kids from 5 to 12 years old show up.  Most of them were from the El Sauzal Area with a few from Ensenada and the Valle de Guadalupe.

It was impressive because everyone said it could NOT be done, that El Sauzal would not support girls sports or that they were too impoverished to come out and play….and boy, were they wrong.  Already we have more players here than in Ensenada signed up. 

Over the next 3 months as we continue to develop these new players and recruit more from this area, we will be able to create two teams for each division (8u, 10u, and 12u).  That’s the goal.  We estimate it will take about 80 players to get to that point – which means we are just about 33 players or so away from that goal.  I think we can do that in 3 months.  

Also, we had 5 coaches from Ensenada show up at our clinic.  They were impressed.  They want the same clinic to be held in Ensenada so that those players can show up and play.  I think we can do that because we need at least 2 teams for each to come of out of Ensenada by September so that we can begin the league play.  So yeah, we have to figure this out and get it done.  With a huge population of Ensenada, we can get it done.  I will meet with the Ensenada leaders this week and put it together.

You know, this is only the beginning.  I can envision years down the road whereby the candle that was sparked this past weekend was what started the true developmental softball program for youth here in Baja and that would spread statewide and even spark programs in other states while Mexico builds towards a National Team that can compete worldwide with nations like Canada, China, Venezuela, and even the USA.

After all, do you remember that the boys of Monterrey Mexico won the Little League World Series in 1957.  Yep, they did……..and so why can’t our girls someday be as great!  I think we can.  But first, lots of work to do……building the foundation is what is required now…..brick by brick.