For professional athletes, the offseason is a time for stepping away from the game, getting rest and preparing physically and mentally for another grinding season. For the Reds’ Will Benson, it’s also the perfect opportunity to return home and give back to his community.
Hailing from Atlanta, Benson still makes the Georgia capital his offseason home. It’s a city he’s proud to have ties to, and he makes a point to show that appreciation by giving back. During the past few months, the Reds outfielder was the driving force behind several baseball and non-baseball related activities benefiting youth and adults alike.
It began in November with Benson’s nonprofit organization, Future is Near, teaming up with SafeHouse Outreach in Atlanta for its annual Walk Through the Streets. Joined by friends and former teammates, Benson took to the streets of downtown Atlanta to hand out blankets, sweatshirts, gloves and other cold weather gear to the homeless and less fortunate.
“It’s always been in my heart to give back to my community,” he said. “It’s been a passion since I was kid, I’ve been doing this walk since I was about 16. God works through me, so it’s always been in my heart to give and to serve through these types of events.”
As he mentioned, helping others is nothing new for Benson. He started doing community service in high school and those experiences opened his eyes to the help that people needed around Atlanta. As a youngster, he also admired several athletes who took their philanthropy seriously, and that stuck with him. By the time he reached the Majors, using his platform and reach for the greater good was a given.
“Service has always been a part of my life,” he said. “It was a moral thing taught to me from my parents. One of my favorite Bible verses talks about loving God with all your heart and loving your neighbors as thyself. So I take that to heart and treat people how I want to be treated and try to do that through service. I know it was something I wanted to do regardless of whether I played baseball or anything else.”
In December, Benson and his nonprofit’s next venture was their annual Sandtown Toy Drive. Benson has participated in the initiative since 2021, but in 2022, Future is Near took the reins of the event.
Prior to purchasing and distributing the gifts, they identified the families they would be helping and had the children send in their wish lists. December’s event grew significantly from the year prior, as they were able to help 44 families. Benson, his mom and other members of the board went over the lists and determined how to spread the money and gifts evenly so all the kids could have a merry holiday season.
Then on Dec. 16, accompanied by members of Future is Near and friends from pro ball, Benson made three stops around the Sandtown community to distribute the presents. They started off at Kingdom Difference Church, where his father used to serve as an assistant minister. From there they went to Sandtown Park, where he started playing baseball at age 7. The final stop was Shamrock Gardens, an apartment complex less than five minutes from his home and where his mother used to work as the property manager.
“It was a beautiful thing to be a part of,” Benson said. “My favorite part was getting back to Sandtown. It took me down memory lane seeing the fields I grew up playing on and remembering the dreams and ambitions I had running around the big park. And now here I am years later back serving the same community.”
About a month later, Benson and his nonprofit hosted their second annual Sandlot Stars Baseball Camp, partnering with Minority Baseball Prospects to help reach as much of Atlanta’s inner-city youth as possible for the event. And it worked, as this year’s camp included nearly 110 young ballplayers, double the number from the previous year. The camp was supposed to be capped at 100, but the response was so overwhelming so quickly that they couldn’t take the link down before registration crossed the century mark.
“The turnout was phenomenal,” he said. “That was surreal to begin with, breathtaking to see that. As the camp started, I emphasized that I wanted to see hustle, effort and have them engage with the pro players I brought with me. The competitive energy was there. They got to showcase their talents on both sides, hitting and defense, which was amazing. The camp was a huge success.”
Benson hopes to connect with MLB about the camp and get some support from the league level in the hopes for a new field for the kids to train on. Ultimately, Benson’s goal is to assemble a 15U team, so the camp is intended to be for players ages 13 to 15. But when a big leaguer is hosting a camp in your hometown, word gets around quickly.
“There were kids who were 11 years old out there. How they got they got registered, I don’t know,” Benson laughed.
One of the unique elements to Sandlot Stars is the mentorship program awarded to the camp MVP. Benson established the program in 2019 and has since integrated it with the baseball camp. The idea is to build a relationship with one student-athlete each year and guide them in any way he can, whether it be on or off the field.
If the player needs some new gear, Benson’s got it covered. If he has questions about baseball, Benson is there. But it’s much more than that.
“The overall goal is just to be in that person’s corner. If you need to talk about anything -- school, sports, academics -- I’m here. I am a phone call away,” said Benson, who is still in contact with his mentee from the first year of the program. “I’m going to give you the best info I possibly can, especially when it comes to baseball. But even if you can hit the ball really well, there are still some business things, how you carry yourself, and other little details you need to understand. And that’s why I created this mentorship program. I am there to give them the utmost resources to succeed.”
With Spring Training underway, Benson’s full-time job on the field will require much of his time. But that doesn’t mean he’ll be stopping his charitable efforts.
Last year, Benson participated in various events in the Cincinnati community, including visiting Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center to put smiles on patients’ faces and to take in a presentation from young, local entrepreneurs at the ballpark who offered advice on their concepts and designs.
“There are needs everywhere, not just Atlanta,” he said. “Regardless of who I am or what I do, to lend a helping hand is what we’re called to do in life. But when people see someone who plays for the team in their city out here helping them, I think that goes an even longer way, so I’m here for anything. I’m very grateful for the city of Cincinnati because I’ve been given an opportunity here. And praise God, last season made me feel like a true big leaguer, and I’m forever grateful for that. Another way to show that gratitude is to be active in the community and do what’s necessary off the field.”