The Dominican Republic has the second-highest number of baseball players in Major League Baseball.

Every MLB team has a training academy in the DR and every town has a baseball field of some sort where kids and youth can be seen playing at all times of the day. Baseball offers many young boys and their families a glimmer of hope and a small chance of overcoming poverty, and as a result many boys as young as age 13 drop out of school to focus all of their attention on baseball, hoping to someday play for the big leagues.

Statistics, however, say that only 2% of Dominican baseball recruits are actually able to make it far enough with the MLB to make a living. This leaves many young men at 19-22 years old with little education, no other work skills, and no job prospects outside of the world of baseball. Some become coaches or assistant coaches, others find temporary jobs in the tourism industry as butlers and waiters, some go on to complete their education and seek other job training, and still, others struggle their entire lives to make a real living and find real purpose. 

FCA DR has a ministry strategy of “to and through the coach”. Baseball coaches, specifically, work with anywhere from 25 to more than 100 athletes weekly. Many of their athletes come from broken homes and end up spending more time with their coaches than with parents, teachers, or other adults. Coaches become pillars in their communities; and we believe if we can reach and disciple the coaches and their families in the Gospel, they can in turn disciple their players and families, which in turn can change an entire community