Hamberto Gardian, a San Isidro, Nicaragua 16-year-old, grinned as he tried on the full set of baseball catcher's gear that once belonged to a Highlands Ranch baseball player his age.
"This equipment is special for me and for others who catch for our school team. It is the first time I have used a batter's helmet like this and it feels good," Gardion said through an interpreter. "I thank the catcher who shared his equipment with me and I thank those who brought it here to our school. God bless them all."
The catcher's gear was part of the baseball equipment that members of the Casa Unida Foundation delivered to Eben-Ezer School in San Isidro on July 25. It was the first of three schools visited during the week-long trip.
The Lakewood-based all-volunteer organization began the equipment program when the foundation learned Nicaraguan schools receive no money for sports or physical education equipment. The three schools visited in July make a total of seven Nicaraguan schools that have received equipment from the foundation.
The foundation team came to northern Nicaragua the last week in July to deliver equipment to three schools, to gather information on how much baseball equipment the average school had and to check out the playing fields as part of a project the organization hopes will generate the support to deliver equipment to many more schools.
The foundation team delivered the catcher's gear along with a duffel bag of three bats, two dozen baseballs, 12 right-handed gloves, two left-handed gloves and a catcher's mitt to San Isidro.
The coach at the San Isidro school thanked the team for the equipment, because so many school players didn't have gloves and the school had no bats or balls.
"The catcher's gear is very special," he said with a smile. "Our catcher will probably be the best protected catcher we will see all season."
The catcher's gear originally belonged to Sean Healey, who played baseball at Mountain Vista High School in Highlands Ranch. He graduated in 2014.
The baseball equipment project took on added importance when local officials told the foundation that baseball has replaced soccer as the number one sport in Nicaragua.
The lack of adequate equipment is compounded because schools have no money for equipment and few families can afford to buy equipment for their sons, they said. In the Somoto area, the average daily wage is about $5 and a cheap baseball costs $6. Gloves like the foundation delivered to the schools would cost a family $80 to $100.
At all three schools that the foundation visited and donated to in July, coaches told foundation members that their leagues provide some equipment for players. The borrowed equipment makes playing the game better, but there still were no gloves, bats or balls at the schools for team practices. One coach told foundation members that the players used sticks for bats and rolled-up socks covered with adhesive tape for balls.
Reymundo Lopez, coach at Solomon Ibaria School in San Luan Rio Coco, told foundation members the game of baseball was important to the school because players learn sportsmanship and discipline, plus they learn the importance of maintaining good academic standings in the school and the importance of strong moral values.
Coach Marvin Cruiz Rios at Instituto National Palacaguino had similar comments.
"This equipment is a blessing to the school and to the students," he said through an interpreter. "We now work on skills in practice we will use in games. It also helps us spend time with the players, teaching them about important values like strong academic work, good sportsmanship and strong Christian values."
The foundation's effort to supply baseball equipment to schools began more than a year ago when Englewood High School's baseball team donated some used gloves to the effort to gather equipment for Nicaraguan schools.
Healey enclosed a note with the catcher's gear.
The note said: "I hope you enjoy your new catcher's gear! It served me well over many years of catching and I hope it can do the same for you. Baseball is an amazing sport and has given me many lifelong memories over the years. Baseball has taught me how to believe in myself, think strategically and created many great friendships that I will have forever. I am extremely happy to be able to pass on my gear to you and I hope it treats you well!"
Gardian read the note, then wrote a reply.
The interpreted reply said: "Well, first we thank God for these blessings, for everything you have given to our school," he said of Casa Unida Foundation. "I also want to thank the catcher who sent the equipment. Bless you for sharing your equipment with us."
from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Nicaraguan-boys-bless-donations-of-baseball-gear,233457
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