JAYFORCE

Interesting. Major League Baseball-affiliated programming that emphasizes literacy and a high school education for players; whether they get to play at a high level or not.

Over the last few decades, the Dominican Republic has changed the face of American baseball by churning out talented players whose humble beginnings have helped cultivate a unique passion for the game. That passion is often due to dire circumstances that drive all focus to the diamond instead of the classroom. The result is thousands of young Dominican men sacrificing their education and formative years for a 2% chance of making it to the big leagues.

We sent Jaimie Sanchez to Boca Chica, a small, rural town that is home to the MLB’s training camps to visit Junior Noboa. Junior is the head of Latin American Affairs for the Arizona Diamondbacks and has helped develop a digital education program for their young players. We also see Boca Chica through the eyes of two players who were forced to adjust to life back home after their dreams of major league glory never became a reality.

– VICE SPORTS

So, with a program that insists on some level of education, the theory is that would be players would have something to fall back on; even if the fall from potential glory is a hard one. VICE SPORTS with yet another compelling story-behind-the-story.

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