Play Ball Campaign

MLB “PLAY BALL” CAMPAIGN

Given the title America’s greatest pastime, baseball has not only been a traditionally loved sport, but also creates building blocks towards learning experiences within the players. Our country’s youth presents dominance when shaping our futures, thus giving us a strong belief that in addition to providing recreational fun, baseball also demands a healthy and nutritional lifestyle. Major League Baseball realized the connection between the fire built in young athletes hearts and the much needed motivational direction and crafted the idea to create their famous “Play Ball” campaign.

“Play Ball” was created by the MLB with the intentions to target young athletes that are beginning their baseball career to modify their lifestyles. Promoting a Lifestyle of Activity for Youth or the Play Ball campaign takes many different routes when it comes to marketing and promoting their initial idea behind the campaign. Through advertising in ballparks, during MLB game broadcasts, the creation of a mobile app, their website and many other ways, “Play Ball” had begun boosting baseball participation all over. Recently I have started coaching a Spring Little League baseball team. Working with the prime ages of 10 to 11 year-olds, I get the privilege of seeing the passion for the beautiful game in the attitudes of these kids at such a young age. It is truly a motivating experience and when I heard of MLB’s campaign, I couldn't help but to agree with their dedicated vision to educate today’s youth in all the different aspects and beauty that baseball has to offer starting right now, with their age groups. USA Baseball and the MLB came together to not only help the kids get active in participating in baseball, but, helping with coaches with little experience at providing the proper way to teach the game. The Play Ball coaching app provides hundreds of drills to use at practices, charts of what each age group should primarily focus on, and videos that demonstrate how each exercise should be done. Play Ball also allows parents to get their children involved in baseball-playing opportunities through an outlet called “Baseball Near You”. The parents use this tool by entering their zip-code and it shows them the closest league they can be apart of. There are over 10,000 leagues in the databases and they provide everything needed to know in signing their child up. 

As most major marketing campaigns, “Play Ball” is no exception in going through  the roller coaster to success. Kids all around the country idolize themselves to be like their favorite player, so, one example would be that MLB sent Miami Marlin Giancarlo Stanton to New York to promote the campaign by playing wiffle ball with the kids next to Yankee Stadium. Rob Manfred stated that kids can still play, develop their skills, and enjoy the game without having the essential items to play such as a uniform, two teams, and umpires. One of the biggest weaknesses is that MLB can’t get around to every teams city to spread awareness within the year. Especially the lower income cities such as Detroit and St. Petersburg. They are making efforts to improve that by giving free tickets to the game, and meeting players. So therefore they raise awareness for Play Ball and try to fill the seats for the game. 

Major League Baseball is beginning to partner with their clubs and outside organizations to fulfill their goal of reaching out to the kids to about the importance of a healthy lifestyle and provide encouragement for their aspiring dreams to play professional baseball. The Arizona Diamondbacks and their head trainer hosted 50 kids at their field to discuss these issues. They divided them into groups to talk about eating right while also having fun by participating in baseball drills on the diamond. The main  focus was consuming fruits and vegetables, eating consistently throughout the day, keeping hydrated, eating healthy snacks like fruits or whole grains and getting enough fiber. Meyers, who is an executive of an advocate group for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities said “I think it's probably not foremost in their mind that what they're engaging in here is living out the message of PLAY, but you see in the kind of energy they're devoting to it, you see in the excitement they're feeling about it that what they want to do is be active.”  A similar situation happened with Elvis Andrus and the Texas Rangers. Elvis explained his path to the big leagues and how he felt intimidated by everyone else because he so much smaller than they were. When he signed with the Atlanta Braves at 16, he only weighed 160 pounds. Trying to give the sense that you're not always going to be the best or the biggest but to do everything you can do to give yourself the opportunity for success through having a healthy lifestyle. Ryan Rua, an outfielder of the Rangers added “At younger ages, you're always just excited to get out there and you're not really worried about your body. So these kids learning this at this age is going to benefit them.” 

Through the Play Ball campaign, and the different outlets such as “Baseball Near You”, Major League Baseball is engaging in every opportunity for kids in America to play the game while learning the keys to living a healthy life. 

Sources

Newman, M. (19 June, 2015) "MLB and USA Baseball Launch Play Ball." Major League Baseball. Retrieved from http://m.mlb.com/news/article/131434516/mlb-and-usa-baseball-launch-play-ball

Korona, C. (2 May, 2015) “Elvis Andrus, Rangers Join PLAY Campaign." Major League Baseball. Retrieved from http://m.mlb.com/news/article/121979242/elvis-andrus-rangers-join-play-campaign

Lichtenstein, A. (25 June, 2014) "PLAY Campaign Makes Stop at Chase Field." Major League Baseball. Retrieved from http://m.mlb.com/news/article/81619334/play-campaign-makes-stop-at-chase-field