[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”20″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_imagebrowser” ajax_pagination=”0″ order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]James Lakendrick (Ken) Willis is endeavoring to build his field of dreams within the hearts of minority youngsters. A physical education teacher and head baseball coach at Sebastian River High School, Willis loves the game of baseball and would like to see more minorities develop that same passion.
“Back in the day, in Jackie Robinson’s time and Roy Campanella, more blacks played. They came from the Negro League and it was appealing to the black community. After the Negro League faded out, there were not a lot of minority figures that they looked up to,” says Willis. “I tell people all the time, baseball is a great game. It taught me a lot of life lessons, about how to accept failure and how it builds character. And it has taken me places I probably never would have gone.”
Born and raised in Gifford, Willis played baseball and football at Vero Beach High School before attending Florida A&M University. He spent half of his senior year at Savannah State University before returning to graduate from Florida A&M.
Although both are Historically Black College or University schools, there were few minority baseball players. When he asked why, his coach bluntly said that he needed the best players available to win and that incoming minority students were not prepared to compete.
“The landscape of baseball has changed over the years,” Willis explains. “Most teams are probably 80/20 or 90/10 white to minority at HBCUs because all the coaches feel like ‘I have to win to keep my job.’”
Unlike basketball and football, which are less expensive, can pretty much be played anywhere and don’t require as many players, he says minorities are not learning baseball early enough to obtain the required skillset to play at the college level – and that is exactly what Willis aims to change.
In 2014 he and wife April, academic coordinator at Indian River State College, founded Willis Sports Association, offering free clinics to children and coaches. April handles the administrative and fundraising efforts.
In 2015 WSA was accepted into Major League Baseball’s Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities program; at the time, it was the only RBI program from Miami to Jacksonville.
Their very first week as an RBI program he received a call asking for one of his players to be in an MLB commercial being taped in Melbourne featuring Washington Nationals player Bryce Harper. “So on opening day it aired and you could see our kid on TV. That was a great opportunity that just being a local league I couldn’t give to the kids.”
Additionally, for the past four summers MLB has hosted an Elite Development Invitational camp at Historic Dodgertown, flying in 200 minority youth ages 12 to 18 from around the country to expose them to training from 25 ex-MLB players and coaches. Hunter Greene, then a 15-year-old California high school student, participated in the first EDI and this June was selected by the Cincinnati Reds as the No. 2 overall pick in the MLB Free Agent Draft.
While it’s a little early to see stars in his group, Willis says “you can see the growth of the kids and see their love of baseball and their development of the character and life skills through what we’re doing. That’s a win-win for me. I love winning championships in each kid.”
They start young – as in really young, with Baby Ballers for 2-and 3-year-olds and T-Ball ages 4 to 7. Leagues begin at age 9 and there are traveling teams of varying ages. They’re also starting a girls softball program. Roughly 65 participated in Baby Ball/T-Ball this past spring, and 84 participated in leagues.
“We’re the first on the Treasure Coast to offer baseball for 2- and 3-year-olds. It’s just something to get them interested,” says April Willis.
“Their parents tell us, ‘Man, on Saturdays, they wake up saying, baseball, baseball, baseball!’” Willis adds with a smile. “That is a joy seeing those little kids running around out there.”
With Historic Dodgertown their home facility, players are learning on hallowed ground. But though MLB clubs support ‘dependent’ RBI leagues in their local cities with everything from free uniforms to umpires, RBIs without a MLB club are considered ‘independent’ and must find their own funding through grants, sponsorships, fundraisers and donations.
One of the RBI requirements is an enrichment component that follows the Jackie Robinson curriculum of “Breaking barriers in life and sports.” Their 4.Me after-school male empowerment and enrichment program at Gifford Middle School will be expanded to girls next year.
This fall they will add an elementary-level afterschool program at Sebastian River and Dodgertown Elementary and at Fellsmere Boys and Girls Club called Fun at Bat. It’s designed by MLB, Shape America, USA Baseball and Franklin Sports to teach baseball basics to children who have never played the game.
“The last half of that 8-week program deals with literacy,” says April Willis. “Each player gets a book and each week they will have a championship principal that they go over, such as responsibility, team work, leadership, character and being respectful.”
Their greatest need is funding for a van to transport students from school to Dodgertown, as the district’s after-school bus has very limited availability. Money is also needed to purchase uniforms and equipment.
“We’re fairly new; no one really knows about us,” says April Willis. “So we’re trying to make people aware and get some support from the community. We’re in that three-to five-year span, the challenging period of starting anything; getting people to know who we are, why we are.”
“It’s going to take programs like this, starting from the ground and building the love of the game, the enjoyment and the fundamentals to help kids compete at the high school and the collegiate level,” says Willis.
“It’s putting the life back into it, the fun,” adds April Willis. “And we’re trying to do it at a much younger age, rather than introducing it to them in middle school or high school. We make sure when they come, it’s a place where they can be a kid and have fun. A 2-year-old might want to hit the ball off the T, but five minutes later they might just want to chase the ball.”
Willis agrees, adding, “The organization tries to give them a Disney-like experience; unforgettable. They’ll talk about it years to come – the family bond, the relationships they build, and knowing not only the game of baseball, but that they have people that care about them. That goes further than any hit.”
