The Main Field
The purpose:
- To meet the needs of The World Baseball Academy and University of St. Francis. To create a first class venue for world class programming. To serve our local community needs while positioning fort wayne on a national and international level within the game of baseball. To create the final piece for the most diverse amateur baseball operations in the world
This means Fort Wayne becomes an international destination for federations around the world, positioning Fort Wayne globally within the billion dollar industry of amateur baseball...
- We will have the ability to host some of the top amateur tournaments in the U.S.
- This will bring substantial economic impact for Fort Wayne from the sports tourism industry.
- USF has a first class recruitment tool for future student athletes indicating for St. Francis, a stronger program. Combined with the international relationships of the World Baseball Academy, USF could become a Pro Player hub for future pro athletes.
The vision:
- This field will become a resource and an outlet for nations around the world to use the game to break down cross cultural barriers. For the WBA to use these facilities to reach out and aid in increasing the interest in the game and breaking down cross cultural barriers with federations from around the world.
- Because this is the right time, the right place, and the right leadership all coming together to form something unique on a global scale, the Fort Wayne Community needs to step up and support the World Baseball Initiative. Such support is needed in our community as it is an excellent opportunity to create the world coming to Fort Wayne. We have the top executive leadership from within international baseball looking for programs like this in a time of need. With the partnership with USF, the university and the community can benefit from the WBA and make Fort Wayne home to one of the strongest academic and athletic NAIA programs in the U.S. The leadership is home grown from Fort Wayne and wants to passionately see this community continue to thrive. NO ONE is doing this and Fort Wayne has all of the pieces sitting in its back yard..primed & ready to go! This programming opens doors to international relationships around the world and it's a growing global economy...we need to build international relationships! It should exist because too many US kids really do not realize how fortunate they are and this program can begin to break down cross cultural barriers.
The program will benefit:
- youth..
- community
- local universities
- outreach program
- economic development
- social outreach
- inner city
- changing lives and perspectives
- developing future leaders
- changing our world
- breaking loose of the chains of low expectations for youth
- reclaiming our community
- international outreach
- Fort Wayne's future...
The impact on the community and on youth outreach:
- The WBA will offer leadership with a specific expertise in the field of international baseball development.....
- We offer a neutral, well established, event planning entity with a passion for changing perspectives combined with high level baseball development
- We offer the diversity in programming at one facility, with vision and commitment
- We will focus on education and cross-cultural growth.
The economic impact:
- The economic impact is in the multi-millions through the sports tourism of amateur baseball tournaments. The economic impact is estimated at $24 million over a ten year period.
- The social impact is becoming one of the most real & relevant cross cultural educational programs in Fort Wayne. We bring the international community to us....the social impact is preparing students for an ever growing global world in which we live. The social impact is breaking down cross cultural barriers and aiding in eliminating discrimination....the social impact is creating leadership and mentoring programs for at-risk youth using baseball as a platform.
