Baseball at the Juvenile Justice Campus

Serving incarcerated youth at the Juvenile Justice Campus (JJC) continues to be an incredible opportunity for us to foster teens that need us most. Our BGC staff at the JJC have created great relationships with the Chief Probation Officer, Kirk Haynes, and his entire team. This summer that partnership has made the Jr. Giants Program possible again.

 The Jr. Giants Program is a baseball league sponsored by the San Francisco Giants. They provide all the equipment needed for an eight-week season. For the last nine years, we have been an enthusiastic recipient of this program and always make sure to take full advantage of this opportunity. With the permission and security of the JCC, our BGC staff hosts this baseball league in the JJC facility and once again, it has proven to be a solid program desperately needed in the lives of these teens.

 “It’s a good way for us to teach the kids sportsmanship and leadership. It also gives them an opportunity to co-exist with people they do not typically interact with. We have never had a problem with violence during a baseball season,” said Fidel Martinez, BGC JJC Unit Director.

 The youth in the JJC know that being at the Club is a privilege earned with good behavior.  They respect the BGC staff and put their best foot forward during baseball games and practice. Some of the incarcerated youth have never played an organized sport. Having the Jr. Giants Program teaches them a new skill and opens doors to possible hobbies once released.

 On August 6th the season comes to an end with a highly-anticipated championship game at the JJC. Due to security policy, the audience will only be BGC staff, Probation Officers, and the JJC staff. Nonetheless, our teens are excited to participate. As part of the program, the teens that participated in Jr. Giants at the JJC will take a field trip to San Francisco and see a baseball game at the end of the season.

 Opportunities like this really make an impact. With help from caring adults, even incarcerated teens at the JJC will have Great Futures. Every day they witness mentors doing Whatever It Takes to make that happen—and maybe that is all they need.