Story by Steve Kaplowitz
In 2000, longtime El Paso physician Dr. Dwayne Aboud formed the El Paso Border Youth Athletic Association with the purpose of furthering the education of boys and girls through baseball and softball.
“We want kids to realize their full potential, including how to respect the game and life in general,” the association’s executive director Gary Sotir said. In the last 15 years, the EPBYAA has grown to include “The Base,” an indoor baseball and softball training facility that offers personal instruction as well as cages and tunnels for individual members and teams. Despite its success, Dr. Aboud was aware that an indoor training facility was just one piece of the puzzle. Last month, however, he received the break that he’s been waiting years for.
The EPBYAA partnered with former El Paso Chihuahuas manager Pat Murphy and MountainStar Sports Group to announce the formation of Pat Murphy’s Baseball and Softball Academy. In addition, the Chihuahuas NeXt program will include camps and clinics to benefit thousands of area baseball and softball players. How did this idea become a reality? It is a great story that began last year as the Chihuahuas were starting their second season.
Last summer, Sotir began a friendship with Murphy that continued as the first ever skipper was promoted midseason to take over the Padres managerial duties. Murphy, who has an extensive background as a Division 1 college baseball coach and has hosted hundreds of clinics over the years, listened to Sotir’s pitch for an academy in El Paso. Gary’s brother Steve also coached high school and college baseball at the University of Florida and Georgia Southern. He moved to El Paso to help his brother as the Director of Baseball Operations. Once the two baseball lifers agreed to help out, the next step was getting a corporate sponsor. The Chihuahuas were the logical partner and suddenly everything fell into place.
The Pat Murphy Baseball and Softball Academy and Chihuahuas NeXt are planning to break ground in the next 60-75 days in Northeast El Paso. They are close to acquiring the land needed to build both an indoor and outdoor facility near Cohen Stadium. First, the indoor facility will be built, which will contain offices as well as the training facility. Once that is finalized, The Base will move its operations to the new Northeast El Paso complex. Then, they will start building up to eight full-size outdoor baseball and softball fields.
The benefits of the new indoor and outdoor facilities are obvious. El Paso would finally be able to field first class teams and leagues. They would also be able to host tournaments throughout the year, which would cut down on the enormous travel costs for many local teams that play out of town each year. Instead of travelling to Phoenix, Dallas, Las Vegas, and countless other cities to play against the best teams in the country, El Pasoans would be able to participate in premier baseball and softball tournaments in their own backyard. There are also plans in the works to transform Cohen Stadium back into a first class facility like it was for so many years when it housed the Diablos.
While the EPBYAA gets ready for the big move, they are already involved in a very successful after school program. Base Play RBI is affiliated with Major League Baseball and allows 165 fourth and fifth graders in the Clint School District an opportunity to have two practices and one game each week. Following practices, kids are fed and bused to their homes from ballfields on school grounds. The EPBYAA pays for their uniforms, equipment, and registration fees while the Clint School District covers their meals and transportation. Base Play RBI targets kids in the Clint ISD who are struggling with their grades or behavior. After those youngsters are recruited, registration is opened up for the rest of the students. Seventy-two percent
of the kids with the greatest challenges finish the season passing their classes. The program will be adding sixth graders in September. Once it expands, the number of participants will double in size. Other school districts are interested in following the model started by Clint ISD and the EPBYAA. Once the new outdoor ballfields in Northeast are complete, after school baseball could take on a whole new meaning for thousands of El Paso youngsters.
Read the full article at: http://www.elpasoinc.com/special_sections/a_publication_in_collaboration_with_el_paso_independent_school_district/border-youth-athletic-association-adds-academy/article_b0e7004c-0718-11e6-8df9-a3a7f19f07e5.html
