Badges for Baseball

Badges for Baseball 2025 – Year 16

Here is some exciting news for the upcoming Badges for Baseball Program we received from the Cal Ripken Sr Foundation.

Dear Youth Go,

We are excited to inform you that you have been selected for the inaugural Ripken Foundation – Nike RBI Initiative, designed to broaden access to baseball and softball for children and youth in your community. Your organization plays a vital role in shaping young lives, and we would love for you to join us in this impactful initiative!

Through this program, participating sites will utilize LeagueApps, MLB’s registration platform that will offer user-friendly registration, communication, and scheduling tools to enhance the experience and results for players, coaches, and administrators.

Additionally, each individual who registers for the program will receive a FREE one-year subscription to MLB.TV, offering exclusive access to live baseball games, on-demand content, and unparalleled coverage of the sport. For organizations interested in taking the next step, you also have the opportunity to compete against and connect with other Nike RBI affiliate programs, fostering community connections and enriching the playing experience.

We are excited to collaborate with organizations like yours in advancing youth baseball and softball. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or for further information. We look forward to welcoming you to the Ripken Foundation – Nike RBI Initiative!

Please follow this link to complete the registration on the leagueapps website

https://youthgobadges.leagueapps.com/leagues/baseball_softball

Below you will find the necessary paperwork in both English and Spanish. If you have any questions, please contact Timothy by phone 920.722.1435 or email [email protected]

English – Parent letter and information Spanish – Parent letter and information

English – Quick Facts Spanish – Quick Facts

English – Registration Form Spanish – Registration form

English – Photography Consent Spanish – Photography Consent

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2024 Badges for Baseball Season 15 Recap

The 2024 Badges for Baseball season came to an end as quickly as it seemed to arrive just a couple of months ago. In between, though, were a lot of fun moments and cool experiences. The word of the summer could have been “adaptability”, especially for the Menasha group. With construction taking place at Jefferson Park, we relocated to Koslo Park for ’24. However, the Koslo experiment wasn’t meant to be. With all of the rain, and Koslo Park’s ability to retain water, the program could have been renamed “Badges for Snorkeling.” Since that name doesn’t have the same ring to it, I figured it was best to inquire about a return to our usual location. Koslo Park did provide one of those “cool experiences” I mentioned earlier, though. The participants were able to spend time on a field similar to those the lucky youth who have been chosen to go to Maryland have played on.
Between Menasha and Neenah, 70 youth signed up for our 15^th season of facilitating the program. I had a lot of help this summer, as well. Eight law enforcement volunteers from Fox Crossing, Menasha, and Neenah stepped up to lend their support; including two who have been by my side since day one: Chris Groeschel and Jason Feucht. Four adult volunteers (Todd, Dayton, Alex, and Maddie) and nine high school assistants certainly made my job a lot easier. The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers continued their partnership and gave us another Friday event. It was another one of those “adaptability” moments, though. Mother Nature saw fit to dump some rain on us the night before, which made the field at Jefferson Park unplayable. Menasha Park and Rec did their best to work a miracle, but it wasn’t meant to be. So, what was supposed to be a scrimmage turned into a luncheon with the Timber Rattlers instead. Finally, thanks to the Cal Ripken Sr Foundation for making this program possible and Neenah and Menasha Park and Recreation Departments for providing us with fields to play on. I can’t wait to see what season 16 brings in 2025.

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In February 2015, Youth Go mentor Alex Steward and Program Supervisor Timothy Chappa were honored to attend the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation Aspire Gala event in Baltimore. Read more about the event.

In February 2017, former Youth Go and Badges for Baseball participant Tristain Prosper was selected as the very first Ripken Scholar Award winner!