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From SmokeFree Times newsletter, American Lung Association of Rhode Island - May, 1999 p. 2
Diamond Skills - RI Scores Big
The Youth Sports Initiative is under way. All over Rhode Island boys and girls between the ages of 7 and 14 are participating in local competitive baseball events that focus on the message that sports and tobacco don't mix. The Fleer MLB Diamond Skills Competition is a national event that focuses on the baseball skills of running time between bases, distance and accuracy in batting, and fielding and throwing a ground ball to home. More than 100 boys and girls will compete at state finals at McCoy Stadium on May 22, 1999. ALA provides t-shirts with logos of all the sponsors to all State Finals youth participants. Wearing their local league uniforms youth get to know the top players from other Rhode Island communities. Winners of this event, sponsored by the Pawtucket Red Sox, will go on to the New England finals at Fenway Park in June followed by the national finals at the All-Star game.
The local and state Diamond Skills events are the product of the successful collaboration between diverse organizations serving young Rhode Islanders. Project ASSIST (RI Department of Health), the American Lung Association of Rhode Island (through the Youth Sports Initiative), the Pawtucket Red Sox Organization, and the Rhode Island Recreation and Parks Association worked together to make Diamond Skills a success. This season marks the third year that youth "don't follow the pack". In 1997 nine communities participated. Just two years later youth from 26 cities and towns will take part in local competitions.
The Rhode Island Recreation and Parks Association coordinates the Diamond Skills events - from the local competitions and finals that run from April 10 through May 8, through the state finals at McCoy field in Pawtucket. Bill Mulholland, Director of the Pawtucket Department of Parks and Recreation, stresses the rela-tionship between participation in sports and no smoking as a healthy choice for youth. Bill says that the collabo-ration of the American Lung Association and Project ASSIST (Rhode Island Department of Health) with the AAA rated Pawtucket Red Sox Organization have made the Rhode Island Diamond Skills competitions unique.
Every youth who participates in the local Diamond Skills competitions receives a Fleer major league baseball card and a ticket to the June 28th Paw Sox game. Awards are given on this date for batting, fielding and throwing, and running bases. Youth who participated in the New England Regional Finals (June 6 at Fenway Park in Boston) and the National Finals are recognized. The state champ in the 13-14 year old category throws out the first ball of the game before a crowd of 10,000 fans. Every official Paw Sox program sold during the baseball season contains photos of the previous year's Diamond Skills winners.
The Diamond Skills was initiated in Rhode Island in 1997 as a program to outreach to youth in the entire state. Rhode Island is the only state in the country that holds the Diamond Skills finals in a AAA rated stadium. Bill Mulholland says this year's state finals will be especially exciting, as they will take place in the newly renovated McCoy. Four state Rhode Island state finalists went on to the national finals at the All Star Games in 1997 and 1998. Those youth that make the National Finals receive an all expenses paid trip for themselves and one family member.
Bill Mulholland, director of the Pawtucket Recreation and Parks Department, was a committee member in 1997. He worked closely with Sue Cooper, the chair, and his counterpart in Newport. As Bill was with the Pawtucket Department he became the liaison with the Pawtucket Red Sox Organization. Bill's commitment to youth in sports has a history. He was involved with the development of the Hershey Track and Field events for five years and was state coordinator of Hershey from 1993-1997. Once that event was well established he moved on to the Fleer Diamond Skills competitions where he and Sue Cooper have served as co-chairs for the past two years. Bill received a Project ASSIST award in recognition of his commitment to making Dia-mond Skills and the Youth Sports Initiative a success in the state. Bill can be seen promoting Diamond Skills on his bi-monthly Cable sports show.
Come to the State Finals at McCoy Stadium on May 22!
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Read other articles in May 1999 issue:
Youth Taking A Stand Interview with Marco Andrade
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