Here is a link to the original story on the team's website.
Promoting baseball at all levels of youth development, the Salt Lake Bees announced today an expansion of its youth baseball initiatives into four programs to further connect with the community and be stewards of the sport.
The announcement was part of a Major League Baseball “PLAY BALL” event at Smith’s Ballpark, which celebrated MLB’s new partnership with Minor League Baseball.
“The love of baseball is often associated with whether you played in your youth,” said Marc Amicone, general manager of the Salt Lake Bees. “As Major League Baseball connects more with young people through its PLAY BALL initiative, the Salt Lake Bees are also reorganizing our youth baseball program to further invest in the sport and provide more opportunities for boys and girls.”
Modeled after the ultra-successful Junior Jazz program – the largest youth basketball recreational league in the NBA – a Junior Bees program will be established. Currently, more than 10,000 kids are participating in Bees youth leagues organized by 35 community partners. Players will wear Bees branded team jerseys, receive a ticket to a Bees regular season game and be invited to attend skills clinics at Smith’s Ballpark.
The Salt Lake Bees Knothole Club, which is the largest kids club in Minor League Baseball since its formation in 2006, will become theSalt Lake Bees Kids Club for the 2018 season. For children 12 and under, membership benefits include a free T-shirt, free Bees game ticket/discounts on additional tickets, and access to player clinics at Smith’s Ballpark.
A new Salt Lake Bees Baseball Academy will launch in the fall of 2018, designed for developing competitive players with clinics, camps and tournaments along the Wasatch Front.
Partnering with Major League Baseball, the RBI Salt Lake program is joining a national endeavor about “reviving baseball in inner cities.” RBI programs have been started in more than 200 cities, including a pilot program in 2017 in Rose Park, which doubled its number of youth participants to 200 boys and girls. Rose Park Little League is the first RBI affiliate in the Salt Lake market and also features educational and life skills components.
More information will be available as the individual programs are activated atwww.slbees.com.
Salt Lake City has had a Triple-A affiliate since 1994, including the past 17 seasons with the Los Angeles Angels. Players, coaches and front office staff participate in an array of community activities such as baseball clinics, school and hospital visits, summer reading programs and mentor programs.