Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Global Sports Partners coaches traveled to Riyadh, KSA on an invitation by the Saudi Baseball Softball Federation to help expand baseball school programs and to further develop their coaches. Justin Rhodes, GSP’s Director of Baseball Operations, along with Derek Glenn, formerly with MLB China, and softball coach, Rebecca Pack, trained national team players and coaches, conducted an introductory school initiative, and instructed PE teachers about teaching baseball. The training took place Oct.1-5 at the SBSF offices, the American International School of Riyadh, and Manarat Al Riyadh School.
I believe each of the training sessions were a “Home Run!” The children at the school were respectful and full of excitement for baseball/softball. The teachers and coaches were engaged and eager to learn more. And the SBSF coaches clearly already had a good foundational knowledge of the game and attended each session with a “learner’s attitude.” They displayed a passion for the game and desire to share their knowledge with others in their community—a critical component to grow any sport in a new context. – Coach Justin Rhodes
Over the course of three days, the GSP coaches worked with SBSF coaches to introduce baseball to eight different 4th and 5th grade classes, reaching over 160 students. Through the sessions the GSP and SBSF trainers brought energy and excitement as they shared the fundamentals of hitting, catching, and baserunning. By the end of each class, the students were excited to learn more! The school plans to begin baseball as an after-school activity to grow the program.
Working with newer national coaches was some of the most rewarding time. There were a total of eight coaches, including the baseball and softball national team coaches. The classroom sessions contained in-depth information about fundamentals and coaching philosophy while the on-field sessions provided opportunities for the coaches to receive practical experience, observing and coaching others as they went through different drills and exercises. The excitement of the participants to get on the field and see the results of what they learned was contagious!
The vision of Jean-Michel Mayer, the Technical Director of SBSF, includes a multi-faceted approach to the growth of baseball and softball in the Kingdom. Global Sports Partners plans to continue to support SBSF in growing youth participation as well as focusing on coaches’ training and national team player development.