Game Recap February 20, 2016

Before we get into this week’s action, let’s first get you caught up on what happened two weeks before. In the 7-9 year old division the Indians of Candelaria continued their dominant streak by beating the Pirates of Nuevo Amanacer 26-2. The Padres of Quitanca avenged their loss to the Tigers of Santa Matilde 11-5. Moving on to the 10-11 year old division, the Athletics of Quitanca edged out the Braves of Candelaria 6-4 in which was the most entertaining game of the day. The Rangers of Nuevo Amanacer used a big last inning to get past the Cardinals of Santa Matilde 22-12. Finally in the older division it was the Red Sox of Quitanca remaining undefeated by beating the Giants of Nuevo Amanacer 19-9. The Yankees of Santa Matilde remained winless as they fell to the Reds of Candelaria 11-7. Going into Saturday the standings for each of the leagues were as followed:

7-9 Indians (4-0), Padres (2-2), Tigers (2-2), Pirates (0-4)

10-11 Athletics (4-0), Rangers (2-2), Braves (1-3), Cardinals (1-3)

12-13 Red Sox (4-0), Reds (3-1), Giants (2-2), Yankees (0-4)

Now on to the action from Saturday

AGE GROUP: 7-9

Game: Padres of Quitanca vs Indians of Candelaria

The Padres were riding a two game win streak and came in with plenty of confidence. The coach of the Padres, Walberto Reyes, enthused such confidence when asked earlier in the week how he thought the game would go by simply responding, “We are going to win.” The Indians came out cool, calm, and collective by putting up 5 runs in the first thanks to back-to-back home runs by Ruben Calero and Norlan Trana. From there the Indians never looked back as they used their air tight defense to hold the Padres to one run the whole game. The Indians remained undefeated by winning 11-1.

The Padres getting stretched out by doing the ole hip thrust routine

Don't be fooled these kids mean business on Saturdays!

Game: Pirates of Nuevo Amanacer vs Tigers of Candelaria

After winning two straight games the Tigers had lost two straight and were desperate to find their groove again versus the winless Pirates. It looked like it was going to be the same ole same ole for the Pirates as they gave up a quick 4 runs in the top of the first and were not able to score any runs in their half of the first. But, the bats for both teams were quiet for the next two innings as the game stayed 4-0 Tigers going into the bottom half of the fourth. The Pirates finally got something going and closed the gap to two runs heading into the fifth. The Tigers added one run in the top of the fifth and looked poised to win the game. Searching deep within, the relentless Pirates quickly tied the game at 5 all and only had one out with a man on first. The Tigers used some crafty defense to get the final two outs as the teams went to extra innings. Rolling from the momentum of their defense and the Pirates feeling demoralized from not completing their comeback, the Tigers exploded for 9 runs in the extra inning and the Pirates only added 3 as the Tigers won the game 14-8.

The Tigers getting off to a fast start in the first inning!

Probably the reason the Pirates lost...they were distracted by their picture being taken

Next Week:

It will be interesting to see how the two games next week turn out as the Tigers look to ride their momentum building win as they take on the undefeated Indians. The Padres will look to bounce back against the Pirates.

AGE GROUP: 10-11

Game: Cardinals of Candelaria vs Athletics of Quitanca

The last time these two teams met the Athletics won 20-0 in three innings and the pitcher for the Athletics struck out all 9 batters he faced. This week was a complete 180. The Athletics got things going with two runs in the first, but the Cardinals answered back with two runs of their own. The Athletics came back with three runs in the second and the score stayed 5-2 heading into the bottom half of the third inning when the Cardinals began to soar. The Cardinals took advantage of spotty pitching and uncharacteristic bad defense by the Athletics and scored 7 runs to take a 9-5 lead heading into the fourth. The score stayed the same until the Athletics managed to get one run in the fifth. They shut down the Cardinals in the bottom half and went into the final inning trailing by only three. With their first defeat staring them in the face the Athletics came out like true champions and scored 5 runs in the sixth to take a 11-9 lead. The Cardinals got two quick outs, but after a single and an error the Cardinals scored a run and had a man on second. Unfortunately for the Cardinals that is how the game ended as their upset bid came up short when the Athletics pitcher struck out the next batter and the team from Quitanca remained undefeated by winning 11-10.

The A's were cheering to help them spark their rally

Win or lose the coaches always remind the kids to give thanks to God before and after the games

Game: Rangers of Nuevo Amanacer vs. Braves of Candelaria

Thanks to the Cardinals losing this game turned out to be a battle for second place. The game started out with the Braves going scoreless and surrendering five runs in the first inning as the Rangers came out swinging. The Braves not being phased by being down big early, which has happened every game they have played, got their bats going and came through with 7 runs in the top of the second to take the lead. The game stayed 7-5 until the Rangers tied up the game in the third inning. It looked like it was going to be a tight battle for the final three innings but the Braves were too determined to win as they scored 3 runs in the fourth and fifth innings as the Rangers only managed one run over the final three innings and the Braves were the ones who seized control of second place by winning 13-8.

The Braves hanging out before the game

Esteban wondering how they let a 5-0 lead slip away

AGE GROUP: 12-13

Game: Yankees of Santa Matilde vs Giants of Nuevo Amanacer

Unfortunately the Yankees were not able to find the win column for the fifth straight week as the Giants seized control of the game from the start by scoring 8 runs in the top half of the first. The Yankees looked to have some sort of life in the fifth as they closed the lead from 13-2 to 13-6. But, that was as close as they would come as the game finished 13-6 with the Giants getting their second win against the Yankees.

Next Week:

The focus will be on the game that will feature the feisty Cardinals and the Braves. What looked like an upset win for the Cardinals the first time these two played now seems like it was the game that woke the Cardinals up as they have looked much improved the past two weeks even though they were not able to register a win. The other game will feature the undefeated Athletics looking to keep it going against the Rangers.

The fans got a little sleepy during this game

But the Giants left happy!

Game: Red Sox of Quitanca vs Reds of Candelaria

It was the most anticipated of the game as the two top teams of the older division faced off for the second time. It was a defensive battle through the first two innings as the game was deadlocked 1-1 heading into the third. The Reds took the lead by scoring two runs in the third, but the Red Sox being the dominant team they are responded with four runs of their own and led 5-3 going into the fourth. The Reds could not get the bats going and went three up and three down. Sensing blood the Red Sox struck and added three more runs to take a 8-3 lead. They would add five more in the fifth and eventually win 13-3 to take a firm grasp of the top spot of the division.

Wilson is getting some pregame advice from one of his coaches who plays on the National softball team

We can never get enough of the beautiful scenery we have here!

Next Week:

The Yankees will have to look for inspiration from the Cardinals who gave the undefeated Athletics all they could want and more if they are going to be able to get their first win against the undefeated Red Sox. While the game of the week will be the Giants looking for revenge against the Reds as they look to take over second place in the division.

Game Recap February 6, 2016

AGE GROUP: 7-9

Game: Tigers of Santa Matilde vs. Indians of Candelaria

It was the matchup of unbeatens and it ended up being one team flexing all the muscle. The Indians were not playing around and started off the first with 6 runs while only giving up 2. In the second the Indians were able to build upon their lead with 3 more runs. The Tigers repeated their efforts of the first inning by only putting through 2 runs. The Indians all but ended the game with 6 more runs in the third, which would be all the runs for the day as the Indians remained undefeated by winning 15-4. The Indians were powered by their 3,4,5 hitters; Kevin Montes, Ruben Calero, and Norlan Trana who combined for 11 hits, 10 runs, and 9 RBI’s. The Tigers were led by Sander Garcia, Elio Rodriguez, and Ariel Reyes who combined for 4 hits, 3 runs, and 3 RBI’s.

Game: Pirates of Nuevo Amanacer vs. Padres of Quitanca

On the other side of the field was the matchup of the winless, as two teams battled to taste the sweet taste of victory. Again, it was one team dominating from the start. The Padres having built up frustration from their early losses, took it all out on the ball. They rang home 37 runs in 5 innings. All of their team had a hit and scored atleast one run but it was Alexis Espinoza, Yelkel Martinez, and Jordan Zuruga that did most of the damage combining for 11 hits, 15 runs, and 13 RBI’s. The Pirates who were preseason favorites to contend with the Indians, only had 9 runs in five innings with Marvin Timoco and Jordan Hernandez accounting for over half of their runs.

Next Week:

The matchup for next Saturday will undoubtedly be the Tigers vs the Padres. The Tigers won a high scoring thriller with a walk off hit the last time these two met so you better believe the Padres will be seeking revenge. The other matchup will see the undefeated Indians taking on the winless Pirates. We will see if the Pirates can make a game out of it. 

The calm before the storm as the managers meet before the game

All the little kids have the same color of uniforms, which makes for even funnier games!

AGE GROUP: 10-11

Game: Braves of Candelaria vs Cardinals of Santa Matilde

The Cardinals came into the game as serious underdogs as they had only managed one run in their first two games. Believing this was a chance to try out new pitchers and players at different positions the Braves opened the game with a rookie pitcher and a completely different lineup than what they had used in previous games. The Cardinals must of taken offense to being treated like guinea pigs as they rocked the rookie pitcher by putting across 5 runs in the first two innings. The Braves rebounded with 3 runs of their own to make it a 5-3 game heading into the third. The Braves changed pitchers and began hitting to tie the game 5-5 after three innings of play. The Cardinals got a spark in the top of the fourth with a man on one out a hot shot was hit down the first base line that ended up being a two run home run as the Cardinals added more fuel to their upset bid by leading 7-5 after the top half of the fourth. Not being phased the Braves tied it back up in the bottom half as the teams went into the fifth inning deadlocked at 7-7. Feeling the pressure of a possible upset the Braves made the call to bring on their stud pitcher, Alexander. The plan did not work out as the Braves had hoped as the Cardinals had gotten the bases loaded with no outs. Alexander struck out the next two batters and it looked like he might work himself out of the jam. But with the pressure mounting and the crowd screaming, Alexander walked the next three batters before striking another one out. The Cardinals had built a 3 run lead with an inning and half left to play. The Braves rallied for 2 runs in the bottom of the fifth and Alexander took care of business in the sixth to make it a 10-9 game as the Braves faced their final at bat. After a quick out, the Braves got a much-needed single. With one out. down by 1 and a man on second the Braves, due to their lineup change, had what would equivalate  to their 2,3,4 hitters. Unfortunately, the batters did not come through and there was consecutive groundballs to the pitcher and the Cardinals stunned the world with a 10-9 victory.

Game: Rangers of Nuevo Amanacer vs Athletics of Quitanca

The Athletics looked to keep their win streak going against the Rangers who were coming off a game that they let get out of hand. It was the A’s who had their foot on the gas and never let up the whole game. Thanks again to good pitching and great defense the A’s held their opponent scoreless for the second straight week. They helped out their defense with their bats and savy base running by scoring 15 runs in three innings. This game only made it through 3 ½ innings as the A’s won 15-0. It was Bryan Sarria, Angel Samarillo, and Yorlan Rostran that combined for 9 runs and 6 RBI’s. The A’s also used their third different starting pitcher and now have three pitchers with a win to their names.

Next Week:

Like the younger division there is a clear matchup of the week, which will also probably once again be the best game out of the six we have next week, and that is the rematch of the Athletics and Braves. The A’s won by a single run in their last matchup that was full of twist and turns. We will see how the Braves will respond after losing to what seemed to be the worst team in the division. The other matchup should be interesting as well as the Rangers, after beating the Cardinals in week 1, have followed it up by losing 2 straight and the Cardinals are looking to build off their thrilling upset.

The Quitanca fan section! They come early and stay all day to support their teams!

Giving God thanks for the blessing of being able to participate in this league after the game!

 

AGE GROUP: 12-13

Game: Yankees of Santa Matilde vs Red Sox of Quitanca

The Yankees, Red Sox what more could one ask for. The biggest rivalry in all of baseball. Too bad that does not translate to Nicaragua. The winless Yankees were looking for their first win against the undefeated Red Sox. The game was deadlocked as nobody made it to base through the first two innings. The Red Sox got their bats going In the next two innings as they scored four runs while the Yankees were only racking up strike outs. The Red Sox really opened up the game in the fifth thanks to a two run shot by Jean Carlos, it was also his second home run of the game and the Red Sox led 8-0 heading into the sixth. The Yankees were able to muster one run in the sixth and cut the lead to 8-1. It was all for not as the Red Sox doubled their run total in the seventh inning and the game was called for the “mercy rule”. The Red Sox were led by their studs Jean Carlos and Jose Reyes who were able to reach base 9 out of the 10 times they went to the plate. Nelson Castillo went 6 innings, struck out 8 and surrendered 0 runs on 6 hits to take home the win from the mound.

 Game: Reds of Candelaria vs Giants of Nuevo Amanacer

It was the day cap and what many expected to be the best game of the day as these two battled to see who would take hold of second place in the division. Both teams were able to get on the scoreboard in the first inning and it was the Reds who took a 2-1 lead. The Giants went scoreless in the second while the Reds scored three more thanks to three hits and a costly error made by the shortstop. The Reds lead 5-1 heading into the third as their pitcher, Isaias Pereira, continued dealing and was able to strike out two of the four batters he faced in the inning. He received more help in the bottom half of the third as the man who has a perfect batting average through three games, Pitbull, hit a three run homerun and with nothing happening in the fourth inning the Giants opened up the fifth down 8-1. Not wanting to succomb to defeat the Giants mounted a rally with two outs to cut the lead to only four. The pitcher for the Giants, Joel Vilchez, came out and struck out three to give the Giants hope heading into the sixth inning. They kept the magic going with two more runs in the top of the sixth as the Reds looked like they were unraveling. Joel Vilchez looked to give his team one lost shot to tie or take the lead after striking out two batters. He had a man on first but two outs as Lenin Aguirres stepped to the plate for the Reds. He hit a laser in the gap between the left and center fielder and came all the way home for a two run home run and the Reds pushed their lead to 10-6. Joel Vilchez struck out the next batter for the Reds, but the damage was done. The Giants went three up three down in the last inning to give the Reds the win.

Next Week:

The two games on Saturday are rematches of two games that were not very close the first time. Although the Reds of Candelaria should look at their counterparts, the Braves, to see what can happen when you take a team from Santa Matilde lightly as they will take on the Yankess in the first matchup. The Red Sox look to stay undefeated as they face the Giants. 

The smallest kid in the division, Kevin Reyes, batting for the Red Sox!

I know it's hard to tell but Isaias has laser focus on the mound!

January 2016

What a first month to the year! It seemed liked every day was used to do something to prepare for the start of the league. We won’t bore you with all the work done before hand, but we will dive right into the excitement that took place on the days between January 20^th and January 30^th.  Stan Dobner and an awesome team from the Charlotte area arrived on the evening of January 20^th. That night we passed out the uniforms to the coaches. They were overwhelmed with excitement as they had no idea what the uniforms would look like nor did they know what the name of their team would be. The uniforms did not disappoint and the coaches were all thrilled with what team they received. The following two days were spent in making preparations for the kickoff event on Friday night and opening day on Saturday. For the kickoff event we invited all of the teams plus their family members to come. The event was a spectacle to say the least. For the past year everything as far as the “league” is concerned has been done on a small scale. We only saw two or three teams play on one Saturday. We were only dealing with the communities individually. So to see a building full of people that were in some shape of form part of the ministry was breathtaking. In our first year we have 144 kids and about 30 coaches/team volunteers participating in the league.  That is unbelievable and incredible to think about the potential and scope that this ministry can have here. Next year alone we could easily see the number of teams double, but we do not want to get ahead of ourselves. But, it cannot be understated how amazing it was to see so all those people gathered together. It helped bring clarity to know that all the work that had be done the past year was not done in vain. But back to the actually what happened at the kickoff event, which in of itself was pretty amazing. Stan was able to share his dreams, goals, and purpose for the ministry; we introduced all the teams; the Gospel was shared; and kids made decisions to accept Jesus. We are excited to keep pouring into the lives of the kids who came forward on a weekly basis through devotions and showing God’s love towards them. It was truly a special evening!

Darren Adams sharing the Gospel!

All the kids who came forward!

 

The following day was opening day. It was a day that seemed like an unattainable dream for the longest time, but it finally arrived and it was a great day of fellowship, joy and baseball. We had six games take place with two of them being instant classics. We also got in a second weekend of games before January came to a close. There was only one game on the second weekend that brought any excitement. So to get you all caught up on all the game action we have summarized each weekend of games and highlighted the three games (one in each division) that kept us on the edge of our seats.

7-9 Age Group

Through two weekends of games we are left with 2 undefeated teams and 2 winless teams in the youngest division. The Indians of Candelaria dominated the Pirates of Nuevo Amanacer and the Padres of Quitanca in their first two games. The Pirates after falling to the Indians in the first week followed it up by losing to the Tigers of Santa Matilde the second week. Though most of these games have been more entertaining for the cuteness factor rather than actual game play, there was one game that featured such an unbelievable comeback that it would of made one believe that there is a chance pigs could fly. That game was on opening day with the Padres of Quitanca and the Tigers of Santa Matilde squaring off. The Padres were the visiting team and opened up the top of the first with a whopping 17 runs. It looked like the game was going to be over before it started. Although the Tigers dug themselves into a deep hole, they were not fazed as they rebounded with 10 runs of their own in the bottom half of the first. And the comeback was on. After the second inning the Tigers had made it a 5 run game with the score being 23-19. Thanks to some great defense and some more runs in the third inning, the Tigers went into the fourth winning 26-25! The Padres bounced back with great defense of their own and the two teams went to the fifth and final inning tied 27-27. The Padres led off the fifth inning with four runs and looked certain to seal the victory in the bottom half. The Tigers were down to their last out and still trailed by two runs but the bases were loaded. Little Eliseo stepped up to bat in the biggest moment of his life and delivered in a big way by hitting a walk off 3 run triple to win the game for the Tigers! It was a great, entertaining way to start off the league. So as it stands at the moment the Indians and Tigers are 2-0 while the Padres and the Pirates are 0-2. By the end of this Saturday there will be only one undefeated and one team remaining winless as these teams will face each other. Stay tuned to find out what happens on Saturday!

The Pirates of Nuevo Amanacer

Most of the Indians of Candelaria

The Padres of Quitanca

The Tigers of Santa Matilde

 

9-11 Age Group

           
After two weekends in this age group we have a top dog, two teams looking to try to dethrone the top dog and a team that needs to spend more time on the practice field. The Cardinals of Santa Matilde have had a rough two games as they have been handled pretty well by the Rangers of Nuevo Amanacer and the Athletics of Quitanca. The Rangers a week after beating the Cardinals lost in a competitive game to the Braves of Candelaria. That leads us to undoubtedly the best game of the first couple of weekends that featured the Braves of Candelaria and the Athletics of Quitanca. The Braves were eager to show what they had against a well coached, veteran Athletics team. The game started off by the Braves putting a big 0 on the scoreboard in the top of the first and controversially starting their number two pitcher in the bottom half of the inning in hopes of saving their stud for the last four innings. The strategy did not play out well. Though the pitcher, Ricardo, pitched decent the defense behind him played poorly. The Athletics came out hitting and the Braves had two crucial errors in the first inning. A passed ball in the outfield and a dropped ball by the catcher on a play at the plate allowed the Athletics to pull out to a 5-0 lead. The Braves again could not muster up anything in the second and the coach had no option but to bring on the stud from center field to try and keep the game manageable. The Athletics did not skip much of a beat as they started off the bottom portion of the second inning with two more runs. The Braves were startled, but gained some hope as the big hoss on the mound, Alexander, struck out three in a row. The adrenaline gained from the three straight strikeouts woke up the Braves and they were able to put two on with one out as Alexander stepped up to the plate. Not wanting to miss a chance to help himself out, Alexander crushed a bomb to right center field and ran around the bases for a three run homerun. The Candelaria fans were going crazy and one could feel the momentum shifting. In the bottom half of the third the A’s went three up and three down as Alexander struck out two more. The Braves kept the bat party going in the fourth as they were able to bring home four more runs to tie the game, thanks in big part to a two run double hit by none other than Alexander. The game was tied 7-7 heading into the bottom half of the fourth. Despite their early success, the Athletics were not able to touch Alexander until a crucial outfield error turned a single into a homerun and the A’s regained their lead at 8-7. The score stayed the same until the sixth and final inning. The Braves were feeling hopeful with the top of their lineup coming to the plate. The inning started by a walk and was followed up by a strikeout. And with a man on first and already having 5 RBI’s to his name, Alexander stepped up to the plate for the Braves. Unfortunately, Alexander ran out of magic and struck out. The following batter struck out as well to end the game as the Braves started off the season with a loss and the A’s with a big win.

The Cardinals of Santa Matilde

The Rangers of Nuevo Amanacer

The Athletics of Quitanca

 

 

The Braves of Candelaria

12-13 Age Group

            Over the first two weeks, this age group has shaped up very similar to the 10-11 age group. It started off with the Red Sox of Quitanca putting it on the Giants from Nuevo Amanacer. The Giants were able to bounce back in week 2 against the Yankees of Santa Matilde while the Yankees had tough two tough weeks as they also loss to the Reds of Candelaria in the first week and have two early losses. Again the best game was between the teams of Quitanca and Candelaria. The Reds of Candelaria have been feeling pretty confident over the past month and they were eager to take on the Red Sox of Quitanca to prove that they were indeed the best team in the league. The Reds did come out strong with a three up three down in the top half of the first and were able to score one run in the bottom half to take a 1-0 lead. The Red Sox quickly rebounded and were able to put through 2 in the top half of the second to take a one run lead. The Reds couldn’t get anything going in second and the game was 2-1 heading into the third. Sensing opportunity, the Red Sox came out swinging and scored 5 runs to take a 6 run lead. With their backs up against the wall, the Reds were able to find 4 runs of their own to shrink the lead to only 2. The Red Sox were quiet in the top of the fourth and the Reds came up to bat with a chance to cut into more of the lead. Thanks to a home run hit by the one they call “Pitbull”, the Reds tied the game up with three innings remaining in the game. The crowd was alive and beginning to believe that the Reds were going to be able to do what they said all week they would do, win. The Red Sox being calm and collective squashed all of their beliefs with five runs in the fifth. The Reds would not be able to score anymore in the final three innings as the Red Sox added five more and ended up winning 17-7. 

The Reds of Candelaria

The Yankees of Santa Matilde

The Giants of Nuevo Amanacer

The Red Sox of Quitanca

            As you can tell we have had a jam packed first two weeks for the league. We are excited to be able to have games every Saturday and the kids are having a blast. But, we are even more thrilled with what God is doing, already has done, and will do to continue to use the game of baseball to reach the people here in Chichigalpa. We ask that you continue to pray for wisdom, soft hearts, and more opportunities to reach the men here. Thank you and may God bless!

The Coaches!

Goals for 2016

It is amazing to see how far we have come from the start of 2015. God has been faithful through hard times and we are excited to see what this New Year has in store for this ministry. As we move forward with 2016 we have set “goals” for the ministry and would like to share them with you all so that you can partner with us in prayer.

1. Add one family/kid from each team to a church – We will have 12 teams with 12 kids on each team. That is 144 kids that will be participating in our league. It would be far to estimate that at least half of the kids are not involved in a church and probably 75% of the families of the kids are not involved in a church. Our goal for next year would be to have one family or a player from each team become newly involved in a church. 
2. Find solid chaplains for each team – This goal would have a direct effect on the first goal. The chaplains would not only be sharing devotions and ministering to the kids weekly but Jeff would like to get out into the communities with the chaplains and spend time with the families of the players. The key to adding families to the church is to develop relationships with them by spending time with them and loving on them. 
3. Have weekly community outreaches – We would like to have one time a week where our fields our open to the men of the community both young and old. It would essentially be a time where they would have a couple of hours to play scrimmages amongst themselves, but in order to play they would have to come before hand for a devotion. Getting to the hearts of the men in the community is crucial to see changes. We believe that this will be an effective avenue to reach the men.
4. Find a “full-time” Nicaraguan – The ministry really needs a Nicaraguan man who shares the vision and goals of the ministry to come work along side Jeff. Firstly, a local is going to make a bigger impact than any foreigner can make. Secondly, a Nicaraguan, due to his understanding of the culture, will provide better advice on how things can work more effectively. Thirdly, when Jeff is in the States things can still operate and the ministry can have someone who is in charge to keep things going.
5. Run a “successful” league – What constitutes running a successful league? For us we want Saturdays to be the highlights of the kid’s week. We want this to be the day they look forward to as they count the days until they can put on their jersey and go out and play. It is also a day that we want to see the community come together and to enjoy watching their kids, grandkids, nephews, neighbors, and friends play. That would constitute a successful league, having a day that is anticipated by the kids and the community.
6. Form a league committee – With each game day featuring six games we are going to need help and participation from the community. We hope to find a group of people who want to volunteer  and be committed to help with the on goings of the league on a week-to-week basis. 
7. Have sponsors for each team – We have configured that with only $1,000 one could adequately sponsor a team. This would include uniforms for the year for a given team, snacks after the games, and transportation to and from games. We are planning on having two different seasons during the year. The first lasting from the end of January to the beginning of May and the second going from the beginning of July to the end of September. The $1,000 would cover the team expenses for the year. With that each sponsor will receive updates about their team and be able to connect with them on a more intimate level. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of a team please refer to the “How To Get Involved” tab.

Those are our 7 main goals for 2016. We believe in the power of prayer and know how effective it can be. We ask you to partner with us and keep these goals in your prayers. We thank you in advance for your support because none of this would be possible without it! Thanks and God bless!

October and November 2015 Update

            The month of October was the last month for scrimmage/preseason games and November featured a special game. All the teams played their final games for the year and we had some great ones. The kids and the communities are excited and anxiously anticipating the upcoming league in January when each team will be playing on a weekly basis. However, if the league started today we would have a pretty good idea on which teams are the best, due to the results from the preseason games. In the oldest division of 12-13 year olds Candelaria dominated by going undefeated with a 6-0 record. Nuevo Amanacer was a close second with plenty of talented players. They went 3-3 in the scrimmage games, and although they never beat the Candelarian team, there is reason for optimism because due to so many players the Candelarian team will be split into two different teams when the league rolls around. Santa Matilde brought up the rear, but with athletic kids who just lack practice the hope is that this team will be much improved than their preseason 1-5 record. The MVP of this division for the preseason would have to be Luiz Manuel Santana from Candelaria. His name around these parts is Luisito, which would translate to little Luiz, but his game is anything but little. With a 12-6 curveball that would make a grown man’s knees buckle and the ability to play shortstop at a high level makes him a highly versatile player and an easy choice for the MVP of the preseason.

Luiz about to throw his devastating curveball!

            There is a similar story in the 10-11 year old division as far as team rankings, but there is a twist. Candelaria ended the preseason with an unblemished 6-0 record. Yet, the twist is that the team from Nuevo Amanacer only played in the last weekend of games. Nuevo Amanacer gave Candelaria all they wanted and more in what was the best game of the preseason but, Candelaria escaped with a dramatic 2-1 victory. Nuevo Amanacer were 1-1 in the only weekend they played but they surely will make plenty of noise in the league. Santa Matilde struggled and were not able to find a win going 0-6. Without some improvement it might be tough for Santa Matilde to win games come January. Also, this division will get a surprise once the league starts as a team from a neighboring community who won the city league of Chichigalpa this past year will join this division. We are excited to be able to make this contact with this community because the coach is well respected and knows a lot about baseball. But most importantly, it offers us a chance to reach and minister to a neighboring community that New Song does not yet have a presence. The community is called Quitanca and is in close proximity to Nuevo Amanacer, which has a dynamic pastor and is building a new church building. We are excited with the possibilities and potential this relationship presents. Going back to the teams that participated in the scrimmages, instead of an MVP I want to give out a most improved to a young boy and girl. Jose and Mariana have been practicing since March. They both can get attitudes and are difficult/frustrating to coach at points. Yet, they have been faithful since the beginning and although those attitudes can pop up every now and then, they are much more respectful and receptive to coaching. Jose always had the ability and was quite a good player from the beginning. The biggest hurdle was to get him to use two hands when catching the baseball. You would of thought it was like asking him to put his hands into a fire. He would not do it and subsequently he dropped a lot of balls. He finally began to realize that when he did use two hands the ball never came out of his glove. During the classic game between Nuevo Amanacer, he was playing first base and made some Sportscenter worthy catches all while using two hands. On the other hand, little Mariana has been a project. She came in with no ability and has improved in all phases of the game. Although she would bat well during practices, she would not swing at all during the games because she was afraid of the ball. Finally, in the last game against Santa Matilde she got the bat off her shoulders and swung. She ended up getting a couple of hits and more than anything proved to herself that she can indeed hit the ball during the games just as good as she can in practice.

Jose and Mariana back in March forming their friendship!

           As for the youngest division of 7-9 year olds the pattern continues. Candelaria was the top team, having only one loss at 5-1. Once again Nuevo Amanacer, which might be the most improved out of any team, was the second best team. Having bounced back from early losses, they finished with a 2-4 record. Santa Matilde started off winning their first two games but nose dived from there and lost their last 4 games. Like the eldest division, Candelaria will have two different teams in this division come January, which will make things more interesting. For this division I would like to highlight what one could call the “Coach of the Preseason”. That is the coach of the Candelarian team, Rosita Vega. This young girl works six mornings a week from 6-9, has high school classes from 12-5 and still manages to give three practices a week. She has such a passion to teach the young ones about Jesus and the game of baseball. The youngest group is by far the hardest group to coach and to control, but Rosita does an exceptional job. Her team plays really well and it is awesome to see how she interacts with the kids and parents.

Rosita with her stud muffins!

            Like I said at the beginning, November featured a special game. The pastors, church leaders, and the coaches got together to play a softball double header. For the past year I have heard different pastors tell me of their glory days and how they still could go out there and play at a high level. Well they got their chance and while one can tell that father time has crept up on them, some can still play well. It was a great time of fellowship and a way to bless these men who work hard and give their lives to their communities. It was also great to see the potential of how we can utilize the fields that we have not only for league purposes but ways to bless and minister to the communities with games such as these. It was a great two months with plenty of joy and laughter. We are blessed to see things start to shape up and we are excited to see what God has in store. Please keep this ministry in your prayers and God bless!

Bismarck is the pastor of Nuevo Amanacer and from his accounts was a shoulder injury away from pitching in the majors...

Somebody needs to tell Bismark that he ain't getting to the majors like that!

The man, the myth, the legend...Encarnacion is one of our great guards at New Song so you know that he ain't stealing!

Rosita showing the old men up!

Support for 2016

We have been extremely blessed this year with how much money has been given to kick start this ministry. With what we have received, we have been able to build what is becoming the best set of fields in the area. We have two fields that are little league sized with the capability of using one field for older age groups, two sets of dugouts and backstops, beautiful green grass, a professional irrigation system to get us through the driest of times, and have been able to provide consistent work and income during a very difficult time of the year for three families. 

Yet, nothing can surpass the joy and excitement that has been provided to the kids and families within these communities Even though to date each team has only played a couple of exhibition games, you would think they were involved in the MLB playoffs. Kids are constantly asking when the next games are, and they are always recounting what happened in the previous games. Right now, they have to wait three weeks between each game. So we cannot wait to see how awesome things will be once January rolls around, and the season gets started. Like it was previously stated, this year and everything that has happened would not have been possible without your help. Because we desire to run a yearly league, there is a need for yearly financial help. Below is our 2016 Budget for the ministry.

2016 New Song Sports Ministry Annual Budget
Teams		$12,000
Field Maintenance		$4,000
Transportation		$3,000
Capital Budget		$5,000
Missionary/Local Staff Support		$15,000
		$39,000

TEAMS

In 2016, we will have 12 teams participating in the actual league. We determined that each team could be adequately sponsored with only $1,000. With this money we plan to provide each player and coach with a jersey, a glove for each kid, snacks after each game, trophies, team photos, and umpires for the games. Routine updates will be given for each team so that team sponsors can become connected with their team and its players.

FIELD MAINTENANCE

There has been a lot of work and money put into constructing our fields. To honor those that have given their time and money, we will continue to strive to have the best fields in Chichigalpa. Field maintenance would include providing for workers, grass products (fertilizer, weed killer, etc.), power for running the irrigation system and any miscellaneous expenses that come with upkeep of two fields.

TRANSPORTATION

Due to the broad scope of New Song Mission there are three communities that are not within walking/bicycle distance from the fields. Due to this, transportation needs to be provided for the teams and families.

CAPITAL BUDGET

The capital budget is for further field construction, such as two picnic areas, bathrooms, and seating. It also includes savings for future land and vehicle purchases.

MISSIONARY/LOCAL STAFF

Finally, the sports ministry currently has one full time American missionary and a part time Nicaraguan. The hope for 2016 is to find and train a full time Nicaraguan who can serve as a leader for the ministry, as well as continuing to financially support those that are currently involved.

As many of you know, this year has not turned out like any of us had expected. We have faced many unexpected obstacles along the way, but such things come with the territory of working in a third world country.  Even still, we believe that we made the most out of the year and our resources to lay down a solid foundation for the ministry. Now that the hard, nitty-gritty work is done we can focus on the real reason we are here and that is Jesus.  We ask that you prayerfully consider in partnering with us to bring the Gospel, hope and joy to the beautiful people of Nicaragua. For more information on giving please refer to the “How to Get Involved” section of our blog.