Eagles Baseball Travels to Puerto Rico
Apple Valley and the Pirates took a picture after an early afternoon scrimmage in Dorado.
While many people headed south to relax and rest during spring break, the Apple Valley baseball team took the week off as an opportunity to prepare for the upcoming season, as well as contribute to the local community.
On Monday, March 21, the group of 22 players and three coaches left for a week-long spring training trip in Puerto Rico. It was the opportunity of a lifetime to compete against kids from a different part of the world where baseball is a way of life.
Under Minnesota State High School League rules, no high school baseball team is allowed to play more than 20 games in a season before section playoffs. So each scrimmage that the Eagles played did not have an official final score. But even without a score, it was clear that the Eagles competed very well against the local talent in Puerto Rico.
The Eagles and the Reds coming together for a picture following the first of 5 scrimmages in Puerto Rico
However, the purpose of the trip was more meaningful than just a win or loss. “The trip was very good for team bonding and bringing guys closer together,” said junior varsity baseball coach Trevor Hemphill.
In the United States, many children choose between playing any number of sports. In Puerto Rico, the most popular sport is baseball and there is not a close second. Although basketball and soccer are on the rise on the island, most kids choose to play baseball. With a warm climate, players are allowed to play year round without the interruption of winter. “I think the the talent level that we faced was very good,” said senior Henry Luetje. “We faced kids as young as 13 that were very good ball players.”
On top of the talent level, the time spent outside was just as valuable. “It was good to get out of the gym and actually play baseball outside,” said senior baseball captain Tayler Stanley. By going on the spring break trip, it gave the team an extra week of outdoor baseball, something that is much different than playing inside on hardwood basketball courts.
Throughout the week, the team spent time practicing and playing baseball, as well as taking in the culture of Puerto Rico. During the stay, two of the local teams cooked traditional Puerto Rican meals for the Eagles, which primarily included chicken, rice, and noodles. The team also visited local beaches, a national forest, historic old San Juan, and an orphanage.
Some of the boys living at the Dorado Orphanage hung their dreams for the future on the wall.
The week before the trip, the team began raising money to be donated to the Dorado Orphanage. With the help of students, staff, parents, and members of the community, the team was able to raise $1,121.
Due to the Puerto Rico financial crisis, the government is cutting back its federally funded programs, like the boys orphanage that the team visited, which went from receiving $75,000 a year to just $5,000. That means the orphanage relies heavily on donations just to make it by. With the money we raised, Fernando Vargas, a volunteer accountant for the orphanage, said he was going to go straight to the grocery store with the money because they were having trouble affording groceries. The baseball program also donated some of its own food as well to help with this problem.
The baseball team was able to walk around the orphanage and see what life is like growing up there. Even though we weren’t able to talk with any of the boys, the impact we made was easy to see.
As important as it was to get on the field and get ready for the season, the most meaningful part of the trip was that visit to the orphanage. There is no language barrier for generosity, and seeing the smile of a man that needed our help is something I will remember for the rest of my life.
