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Our Story
Providing Access and Increasing Opportunity
As a sports-based community development organization, Baseball Beyond Borders (BBB) affords families and communities the opportunity to expose their youth to critical skills necessary for life through participation in the sport of baseball and softball.
Prior to launching in 2014, the program operated under Chaffey Baseball Inner-City starting in 2007. The focus remains on student-athlete development in both athletics and academics.
We connect the passion of students-athletes to their academic future.
Our emphasis is to expand on the financial, geographical, and social boundaries that restrict many of our youth and families in our communities to engage in the sport of baseball and softball.
Our organizational model allows us to not only be able to extend beyond the "foul lines" but also implement a curriculum, Moving Beyond 12, that assists student-athletes and their families to navigate the college access process and prepare them for life after the 12th grade.
Continuity, Competition and Cost
Through individual pathways for explorations, we work to increase exposure to the sport despite economic and social disparities.
Baseball Beyond Borders not only has a focus on urban youth and the development of their baseball/softball skills, but we are also devoting our resources to develop leaders and coaches in the communities we serve.
We look to accomplish our goals by creating a community-wide effort involving local organizations within the urban setting, domestic and abroad, to bring awareness and provide more baseball/softball opportunities for our youth.
"Don't feel sorry for the black baseball player, feel sorry for the ones who didn't get to see them play."
- Buck O'Neil
"A life is not important, except for the impact it has on other lives."
- Jackie Robinson
From Our Founder
Bookie Gates
As founder and leader of this organization, I want to send a sincere thank you for the ongoing prayers and support for our organization since we began in 2007.
As a youth that grew up in the Central District of Seattle, playing most of my baseball career at Garfield Playfield, I was fortunate enough to take my talents to select programs, Eastside Shockers Baseball Club and eventually, Chaffey Baseball Club.
From this experience, I was able to accomplish goals and fulfill my dreams of playing collegiate baseball and eventually becoming drafted by a Major League Baseball Team.
Today, I continue to live out my dreams which have now switched to an emerging group of youth who remind me so much of myself and peers growing up, ambitious and hungry to learn more about the game and the opportunities it provides.
Our organization has opened up opportunities for youth of color to expand on their baseball/softball knowledge in Seattle and its surrounding cities.
Our efforts afford families and communities the prospect to expose their youth to critical skills necessary for life.
The emphasis will be to expand on the financial, geographical, and social boundaries that restrict many of our youth and families in our communities to engage in the sport.
We cannot do this alone and depend on your support both physically and financially to continue to fulfill our promise, providing access and opportunity for youth of color in baseball and softball.
Again, thank you for your commitment to our youth, the community, and to baseball/softball.