Introducing our 2018 Auction for the Boston Athletic Academy!

Brand Name

make hers mark
Moderator
SoSH Member
Oct 6, 2010
4,399
Moving the Line
Good afternoon everyone, and welcome to the 2018 SoSH Auction. It's a time of unbelievable items and experiences, certainly, but more importantly, it's a period in which we come together as one of a community to enrich the lives of others. This year, donations and bids will be made to the Boston Athletic Academy, which will prove a chance for underprivileged children an opportunity to have a baseball clinic of their own, spearheaded by former Red Sox reliever and 2007 World Series champion Manny Delcarmen as well as his friend from Hyde Park, Jose Diaz. After all, to paraphrase, if you build it, Manny will come. The academy will have batting cages, hitting equipment where necessary, mounds, and areas to build strength. This permanent facility will also include oppotuntites, equipment, and tools for athletes of other sports. Furthermore, there will be a tutoring area to help academics. Considering the word student precedes the word athlete in the proper phrasing, this will help the academy shine in respects far beyond anyone's expectations, and making them accessible for all families and individuals.

As a result of the names involved, we already have a signed ball on offer by Manny himself to begin matters in the realm of baseball specific experiences, and I will be eating one of these, no milk, complete with an uploading of my squirming and pain to be shared in P&G. The winner gets a huge shout out and gets to decide the rules of my contest and fate within such a chip's eating.

Any and all items are welcomed! Your contributions of opportunities within experiences of laughter, awesomeness, and just tremendous experiences are second to none. When sending an item, please send a direct message addressed to me to make sure it meets standards (it almost assuredly will) and so that we can market it to its full potential.

Why do so? Well, in a time of disagreements, and a harsh world of many respect, this is the perfect time to build bridges with not only one another but also in the world as we know it. How often do we get such an opportunity to make such a difference in the world, let alone for something we all have as a great passion? For me, the BAA is like family: My father taught me about baseball, as I'm imagining was the case for many of us. Well, what if we can be a father of sorts to these kids, for the next generation? Pay it forward, for not only the opportunities it means but what love we can share for this great past time. Everyone deserves a shot to play and learn. As for the leading the charge, hey, why not us?

For further information, and as a first hand representative, Jose himself will be here to post some useful specifics about the facility.
 

JoseBe

Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Aug 24, 2018
11
Hello Sons of Sam Horn!

My name is José Diaz, but I am told you will forgive my username's joke--years ago, I decided there were too many "A"s out there, so I'm JoseBe.

First, I want to thank you so much for doing this. We are very excited about this project and appreciate all the help we can get. We also have big hopes for other ways people might be able to get involved--I think there are a lot of common interests here.

So, what is The Boston Baseball Academy?
http://bostonathleticacademy.org/

Well, it's been an idea kicking around for a long time to really bring to disadvantaged kids in Boston (and the surrounding areas!) the benefits that I got and Manny got from baseball and from education. Combined. We both know our lives have been forever changed for the good by these things. We've done camps, and they are good, but we are always left realizing we could do a lot more if we did it right.

So our idea is super simple, based on the kind of old ways we were treated: If you want to use the cages, show me your report card!

Of course, it will be more than just cages--and more than just baseball--and more than just showing a report card. We intend a full shop for sports and education and college application, all of it. The programs geared towards the needs of our students that they wouldn't otherwise get.

If this works, here is our mission statement.
BOSTON ATHLETIC ACADEMY
Mission Statement and Development Plan


The mission of Boston Athletic Academy (BAA) is to establish a state of the art athletic facility that supports underprivileged student athletes in meeting their academic and athletic goals while providing a valuable resource to schools, colleges, and communities in the city of Boston.

Boston Athletic Academy is committed to educating and training student athletes in an environment that recognizes their culture, language, customs, and most importantly their growth potential as individuals. Our sports and educational facility will fill the void left by competitors that are either too expensive to be accessible to low income families or ill-equipped to understand and address these families’ specific needs. Although Boston Athletic Academy was conceived to address the lack of educational support for underprivileged Latino youths, we are committed to serving all young people of need.
We are currently in conversation to lease or purchase a building located at 54 Walter Street in Hyde Park. We have secured a vendor to install an indoor, multi-use-playing field covered with artificial turf and a basketball floor with a multi-use playing surface.

The core of Boston Athletic Academy will be our membership and mentoring program, offering student athletes of all ages afterschool training in the sport of their choice, combined with intensive academic tutoring – both content and skill based – at the appropriate grade level. Members will participate in our academic success program, designed to prepare student-athletes for the rigors of college coursework while providing guidance and assistance throughout the college application process, including standardized test preparation, college visits and interviews, and application essay work. We will work individually with each of our members to develop a plan for college and career readiness that best fits their academic and athletic goals.
Our college planning program will:

 Provide support throughout the college search and application process, beginning in ninth grade
 Help student athletes fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)
 Facilitate communication between college advisors, student athletes, and family
 Engage college admissions staff on behalf of student athletes
 Build a profile for each applicant, including a highlight video and academic transcripts
 Offer private tutoring in any high school subject and for SAT, ACT, and SAT II subject tests​

In addition to our membership program, BAA will offer private sports lessons to the general public and will rent facility space for public and private use. Rental space and private lessons will be available at fixed rates on a half hour or hourly basis.

Boston Athletic Academy is dedicated to helping student athletes to thrive in and out the classroom. We envision building strong ties with local communities and plan to partner with local schools, businesses, and organizations to assist us in serving underprivileged families. We will also seek the financial support of the local and state government.

We are gearing to finalize and build out the facility in Hyde Park and have a bunch of things going, such as baseball camp this summer and a golf tournament fundraiser coming up on September 27th, and we've arranged to have a team of local players play some local colleges to continue integrating our efforts with local schools.

So thank you again, and I am told that a picture of Manny and his cat (one of two cats) would help convince you how serious we are about this. So here is a picture of Manny's cat chilling with him.

MDC-Little 2-pic.JPG

If you have any questions, just shoot.

Thank you so much SoSH!
 
Last edited:

Hyde's Pryde

Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Aug 24, 2018
20
What's up!

So I'm new to this but if you guys have any questions for me, let'em fly. I'm told these are called 'ask me anythings' but I might not answer everything. But I'll do my best to answer in a few days if anyone has anything for me.

Thank you so much. We truly appreciate it.

 

The Talented Allen Ripley

holden
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Oct 2, 2003
12,723
MetroWest, MA
Happy to donate some original artwork to be auctioned off, what's the timeline/deadline? I'm not sure I have anything lying around, but I can create something specific for this.
 

Redkluzu

tortures mice
SoSH Member
Dec 10, 2007
2,651
Bostonish...see Wiki for "ish"
I am wondering if girls as well as boys are involved as potential athletes in this project? Could you tell me if the Boston Athletic Academy reaches out to them to participate? Thanks.
 

JoseBe

Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Aug 24, 2018
11
Happy to donate some original artwork to be auctioned off, what's the timeline/deadline? I'm not sure I have anything lying around, but I can create something specific for this.
I emptied out the coffers for the AIDS fundraiser a few years ago, but let me check what I have in Africa Art World I could auction.
Awesome! Thank you so much for your generosity.
 

JoseBe

Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Aug 24, 2018
11
I am wondering if girls as well as boys are involved as potential athletes in this project? Could you tell me if the Boston Athletic Academy reaches out to them to participate? Thanks.
Yes, our programs will be available to everyone and we will have active outreach. Our current network is more based now in community college baseball times we have connections with and our baseball camps from the past. Once we have the facility running, though, we plan to invite women's teams (and, in the long run, not just baseball and softball either!) to come and hold practice there with us.

Good question!
 

Reverend

for king and country
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jan 20, 2007
64,048
Alright, a couple basics until item threads start being listed on Truck Day (Feb 3):

Like BAA on FaceBook!
https://www.facebook.com/Bostonathleticacademy/

Check out our website:
http://bostonathleticacademy.org/

And if you feel punchy, go ahead and donate on our PayPal link whenever you like! (Please include "SoSH Auction" in the message line for any donations so we can keep track. :) )
https://www.paypal.me/BosAthleticAcademy

I'm really excited about this and from what I'm hearing, I'm not alone. Thanks in advance--I think this is gonna be great.

We'll be looking for more personal and engaged kinds of support too--like, any ideas about how to better prepare these youts for college [and the world] that you wish you'd seen a non-profit like this implement? Let us know and we can discuss it here:
http://sonsofsamhorn.net/index.php?threads/the-pride-of-hyde-park-s-sports-education-initiative-boston-athletic-academy.23007/
 
Last edited: