Dear KPB Community,
We launched Keep Playing Baseball in 2012 knowing 2 things: 1) we wanted to continue a legacy of helping high school baseball players make it to college baseball; and 2) we wanted to provide an accessible and free source of information on college baseball as a viable alternative to profit-seeking youth baseball programs that continue to price qualified kids from marginalized backgrounds out of the college game. We had our “why”– a passion for helping others reap the benefits of college baseball and desire to make the path to college more accessible for everyone– and began building the vehicle to deliver on this vision. Fast forward a decade and despite the extraordinary circumstances everyone faced this year, 2021 marked Keep Playing Baseball’s 10th straight year of growth.
Thanks to your support and help, we’ve turned our “why” into a legitimate platform for players and parents to access all the resources and information they need to make educated decisions in the college search process and make playing in college a reality. Our resources are free, accurate, available around the clock, and working as intended. In the grand scheme, we remain a small operation, but 2020-2021 proved that we are resilient and just scratching the surface of our capabilities. We are proud that even in the face of the recent extreme (and shared) challenges, we continue to reach more players and families than ever. Our resources were accessed by over 130,000 people.
We also know that the challenges will persist into next year. In 2022, more players than ever will need affordable access to the quality information and support that KPB provides. Barriers faced by players, especially those from low-resource backgrounds, will be more challenging than ever. We look to 2022 with optimism and hope the year will help us find more creative ways to assist players where they need help. We have the following organizational goals in mind:
- Assist players/leagues/organizations who have been left without playing options due to COVID-19 and associated fallout
- Build on the online educational courses we started in 202o so that players and families can continue to learn and succeed, regardless of how the pandemic impacts in-person opportunities
- Expand partnerships with like minded organizations/individuals
- Strengthen online resources
- Return to in-person educational programming when safe and possible
In what has become a New Year’s tradition, we turn to the words of the late, great Hall of Famer and humanitarian, Roberto Clemente for guidance and inspiration. “Any time you have an opportunity to make a difference in this world and you don’t, then you are wasting your time on Earth.”
Wishing everyone a healthy and happy 2022. We look forward to working with you in 2022 to make a difference and appreciate your support!
Ethan and the KPB Team
