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Major League Baseball, Ripken Baseball and the U.S. Department of State Partner to Bring Chinese Baseball Coaches to U.S.
Coaches Will Visit MLB Urban Youth Academy and Ripken Youth Academy During Stay in U.S.

Major League Baseball today announced that it has partnered with Ripken Baseball and the U.S. Department of State to host 12 Chinese baseball coaches who are traveling to the United States to participate in a cultural exchange and develop youth baseball coaching skills.

The group, which begins its visit at the MLB Urban Youth Academy in Compton, California, from July 17 through July 22, includes six male and six female coaches and teachers who come from five different cities in China (Beijing, Shanghai, Changzhou, Wuxi, and Guangzhou). The visit is a U.S. Department of State Sports United Program within the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, conducted in partnership with Ripken Baseball and Major League Baseball.

“The coaches’ trip marks the next in a series of Major League Baseball initiatives designed to deepen our relationship with China,” said Bob DuPuy, President and COO, Major League Baseball. “We are delighted to have the opportunity to introduce this group of Chinese coaches to some of the best youth instructors and youth facilities in the game.” “We hope that the training received and the experiences shared prove useful when they return to China, and that this is the first of many such exchanges,” DuPuy added.

“People-to-people exchanges like this baseball partnership are the best kind of public diplomacy,” said Under Secretary of State Karen Hughes, who has championed sports programs as a vital component of cultural exchanges. “When we bring people together based on common interests such as sports, they connect on a human level -- and almost all of our exchange visitors report a more positive view of America and a better understanding of democracy as a result of their experience.”

Under the leadership of the Urban Youth Academy’s Executive Director Darrell Miller, the coaches will participate in activities at the Academy designed to achieve the exchange program’s goals of improving youth coaching skills; introducing U.S. sports training approaches and management techniques; enabling interaction with U.S. professional athletes and coaches; providing a comprehensive American cultural experience; and establishing long-term connections and linkages between the peoples of the U.S. and China. The group will spend several days working closely with the Academy’s expert staff as they take children 8-15 years old through baseball drills and game competition. The Chinese coaches will also participate in seminars on umpiring fundamentals, conditioning and nutrition.

“Major League Baseball would love the youth of China to embrace our great game,” said Jimmie Lee Solomon, Executive Vice President, Baseball Operations, Major League Baseball. “Our Academy is dedicated to fostering a love of the game among our urban youth here in America. We hope the passion for baseball, evident at the Academy every day, will inspire the Chinese coaches to share widely what they learn here once they return to China.”

Following the Academy visit, the delegation will travel to Aberdeen, Maryland. They will be staying at the Ripken Baseball Complex and will be attending youth camps and tournaments as well as the international Cal Ripken World Series (CRWS). While there, they will learn coaching techniques from Cal and Bill Ripken as well as other certified Ripken Baseball instructors and coaches from the teams participating in the CRWS.

Cal Ripken, Jr., added, “Baseball is truly an international game and we are very pleased to be a part of this program and to have the ability to partner with Major League Baseball and the State Department. Ripken Baseball’s goal has always been to grow the game at the grassroots level and if we could help these dedicated coaches bring some valuable baseball lessons back to the kids in China we will have achieved our goal.”

The coaches will also visit Washington, DC, and the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina, and will attend several Major League and minor league games, as well as games of the touring China National Team, before returning to China on August 19.

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