MIAMI – Derek Jeter always dreamed of playing shortstop for the New York Yankees.
The Hall of Famer, five-time World Series champion and FOX Sports analyst shared a secret to his success Monday morning at the Boys & Girls Club of Miami-Dade, as Major League Baseball, alongside Jeter’s Turn 2 Foundation, hosted more than 100 kids from the Boys & Girls Club of Miami-Dade, Mater Grove Academy, and KIPP Miami Schools for a Play Ball event.
“For as long as I can remember, I always wanted to play shortstop for the New York Yankees,” Jeter told the group of young students. “My parents always told me, ‘There may be people who are more talented, but there's no reason why someone should outwork you.’ So if you want to be successful in anything, you’ve got to be willing to work harder than everyone else. Continue to work hard and have fun.”
The event, held in conjunction with the World Baseball Classic, consisted of groups of kids ages 7-8 rotating through different stations on the field, learning each unique aspect of diamond sports. These introductory-level activities emphasized accessibility while teaching life lessons and demonstrating the many ways the game can be enjoyed in any setting.
“Access is something we really focus on,” said David James, vice president, baseball & softball development for Major League Baseball. “As we know in the youth sports space right now, a lot of it is dictated by how much you can pay. And we want to make sure that baseball is accessible to anyone, regardless of their economic stature.
“Like today, this is a Play Ball event where there's music playing loud, and we're going to send you home with a plastic bat and ball set from Franklin that you can play with in your backyard with your best friends. A lot of times we talk about, ‘However you play ball, play ball,’ and that is what we hope these kids will take home from this event today.”
Prior to the start of the baseball action, the kids in attendance had the opportunity to hear from Sharlee Jeter, president of the Turn 2 Foundation and sister of the legendary Yankees infielder. For Sharlee, it has been rewarding to help bring joy to youth across the country through baseball and the Turn 2 Foundation’s work.
“This is what it's all about, right? Letting them find true joy through doing something healthy and fun, which is baseball,” Sharlee Jeter said. “And doing it with a sport that me and my brother grew up loving so much and wanting to expose more kids to the game of baseball, what more could we ask for? It's fun to watch these kids' faces. They're having a good time.”
In addition to learning from Derek Jeter, the Miami-area kids were given personal instruction in learning diamond sports from MLB Youth Ambassador, Coach Ballgame, and special guests from the MLB Commissioner’s Ambassador Program (CAP) including Dellin Betances, Michael Bourn, Prince Fielder, Jeremy Guthrie, Ryan Howard, Scott Kazmir, Jason Kendall, Kenny Lofton, Jed Lowrie, Harold Reynolds, Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino and Chris Young.
With a star-studded lineup that combined for 50 All-Star selections, 22 Gold Gloves, 10 Silver Sluggers, nine World Series championships, two MVP awards and two Rookie of the Year selections, Sharlee Jeter believes the kids at the Play Ball event experienced an unforgettable morning learning from some of the best to ever play the game.
“To know that a lot of the guys that came out today from the CAP program and having Derek out here was special for these kids,” Sharlee Jeter said. “Their presence lets these kids know that with all of the hustle and bustle of such a huge, huge event like the World Baseball Classic, that these guys felt like it was important to take a second and actually come out and touch the lives of these young people, and that is a huge deal.”
The coaching staff was supported by over 20 Atlantis University student-athletes, volunteering and working side-by-side with the participants. The 2000 World Series MVP, Jeter also joined the coaches around each station, interacting with the kids and taking in the action from the next generation of players.
Following the on-field action, the 14-time All-Star, who is Founder and Chairman of The Turn 2 Foundation, held a Q&A session with the event participants, sharing advice and insights into his own Hall of Fame career.
“The Jeter Foundation is a huge partner, and Sharlee does a phenomenal job,” James said. “We probably do six to ten events annually with them in locations across the country, and obviously, that name, that brand, if they say, ‘Hey, we want to bring you here to come and play,’ then these kids come out and there's going to be a lot of kids that say, ‘Oh my goodness, that's him.’ And they get a chance to meet him or play catch with him, and they go, 'You know what? I'm going to continue to play this game.' We are grateful for Derek and Turn 2’s partnership, and the impact that we make together.”