Latin Little Leaguers Participate in Baseball Exchange Program

By Scott Miller, Washington File

Participants note differences in training, approach to the game

An exchange program organized by the U.S. Department of State in cooperation with Major League Baseball (MLB) is providing Little League baseball players and coaches from Venezuela and Nicaragua an opportunity to attend the inaugural World Baseball Classic, learn new training techniques and experience a shared love of baseball.

As part of the exchange program organized by the State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and the U.S. embassies in Venezuela and Nicaragua, seven Venezuelan and five Nicaraguan Little League baseball coaches and players attended a World Baseball Classic game in Orlando, Florida, and will continue to participate in coaching clinics and seminars in Orlando and Washington until March 16.

Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Karen Hughes explained the utility of the exchange experience in a March 6 statement.

"These young athletes and coaches from Venezuela and Nicaragua will have the opportunity to engage with their American counterparts to exchange ideas and celebrate our shared passion for baseball," she said.

As part of this process, the program participants already have attended a World Baseball Classic game between Venezuela and Australia, attended a spring training game between the New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates, toured the spring training camp of the Houston Astros, participated in practices with members of the Maitland Little League and toured the Disney Sports Complex. (See related article.)

In a March 13 interview with the Washington File, the exchange program participants shared their experiences thus far.

Argerd Antonio Liendo Boada, a 16-year-old player from Argua, Venezuela, said the opportunity to meet and interact with members of the New York Yankees as well as Venezuelan players such as Miguel Cairo and Felix Escolona were the highlights of the program for him. Ronald Alcides Torreyes Soloranzo, a 14-year-old shortstop on the Astros de Libertad in Barina, Venezuela, agreed that the Yankees game was "a thrill" and added that the tour of the Houston Astros' facilities was also among his favorite experiences.

Bryan Guilllen Toledo, a 16-year-old pitcher for Los Padres in Managua, Nicaragua, and Geovanny Gabriel Toval Monterrey, a 17-year-old pitcher from Leon, Nicaragua, said they enjoyed the World Baseball Classic game as well as the opportunity to participate in the practices of the Maitland Little League. Geovanny added that he particularly enjoyed the opportunity to help the U.S. players improve their techniques.

The exchange program also afforded the participating coaches with memorable moments and an opportunity to examine different drills and approaches to the game.

Rosa Lugo de Rosales, who has been a coach for 23 years and heads a school of 250 youths in conjunction with Los Criollitos de Venezuela (the Venezuelan equivalent of Little League Baseball in the United States), said the opportunity to attend a Major League Baseball springing training camp "fulfilled a dream." (See related article.)

Marvin Roberto Machado Solis, a Little League coach and professional umpire from Caracas, Venezuela, said the opportunity to watch Yankees icon Yogi Berra and Yankees manager Joe Torre oversee batting practice in person before the Yankees' spring training game was "incredible."

"When you see this on television in Venezuela, you never imagine you will sit next to them," he said.

Apart from these experiences, the exchange program also has introduced the coaches to new and different coaching methods.

"We have learned coaching techniques that we did not know before," de Rosales said.

Sandy Moreno, a college baseball coach in Nicaragua and former centerfielder for the 1996 Nicaraguan Olympic Team, explained that "the most important thing that we have learned, and this is true at all levels of baseball, is the importance that is given to well-organized and well-disciplined training."

While the coaches and players almost unanimously agreed that they hope to incorporate both the new techniques and the more disciplined approach to the game they observed in the United States, they also said the utility of the exchange program has extended beyond baseball.

Celina Tabata, the owner and coach of a youth baseball organization from Caracas, elaborated on that theme. "We expected to share our ideas about baseball because it is a baseball program, but we have realized that it is not only about baseball," she said. "We have been able to spend time with different people and share different ideas on sports, discipline and culture that we hope to share ... I am personally very grateful for the experience."

Moreno also expressed his satisfaction with the program and pointed to its broader benefits. "We have seen cultures brought together," he said. "I think the program was beneficial and it will bring our countries closer together."

For information on the role of sports in American life, see Sports.

Source: U.S. Department of State

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