The Miami Marlins Foundation is making significant strides in the South Florida community, one ballplayer at a time. Their primary mission is to instill a love for baseball and softball in the youth, while also providing them with access to the sport.
“Our foundation is a community pillar and very unique. We primarily want to provide access and provide a love for the sport of baseball and softball to our youth around the community around South Florida,” Miami Marlins Foundation Executive Director, Myrna Vaca, shared.
However, the Foundation's impact extends far beyond teaching on-field techniques. Since 2020, in partnership with Positive Coaching Alliance and Miami Dade County Public Schools, the fourth largest school district in the country, the Marlins have reached over 15,000 students through their program, "Great Minds, Great Athletes." This program features both live and virtual workshops aimed at fostering a sustainable culture change focused on mental and emotional wellness.
“We've identified this as something important, and we're gonna put our resources together to help move the needle and improve. We provide these hour to hour and a half long seminars at the school developing that psychology of achievement and establishing a baseline for them to continue their growth not just as student athletes, but as our upcoming workforce,” Myrna elaborated.
A key figure in this initiative is Marlins pitcher Trevor Rogers, who uses his personal struggles and stories to inspire and educate the children.
“Guys in particular, we tend to suppress it, think we can do it by ourselves. And it only made things worse. I think I was doing everything physically right. But nothing mentally right. And I think it showed and it started to affect my life outside of the game and I didn't even know it,” Rogers shared.
His own experiences pushed him to seek help, and now he actively encourages others to do the same, fostering a sense of confidence and openness about mental health.
“That story is what we love to hear from our players and that interaction for them to these community kids is immeasurable,” Myrna noted.
For more information on the Marlins Foundation's initiatives and the "Great Minds, Great Athletes" program, visit mlb.com/marlins/community/foundation.
