The Dodgers RBI Youth Development Program

Attorney W. Jerome Stanley serves as president and CEO of SAFE Sports Management, a private law practice in Los Angeles that provides legal services to the sports industry. Also involved in promoting economic development in South Los Angeles, Jerome Stanley has served on the advisory committee for Dodgers RBI, a youth development initiative of the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation.

The Dodgers RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) program, deployed in 2014, serves 10,000 boys and girls in 68 underserved communities in Los Angeles County including Compton, South Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Inglewood. While engaged in baseball practices and games, each child learns about teamwork and sportsmanship. In addition, the program serves as an engagement tool to promote literacy, health, wellness, and higher education. 

In the past, barriers to baseball in these communities included poor-quality fields, undertrained coaches, high enrollment fees, and inadequate equipment. In response, the Dodgers RBI program provides coaches with an opportunity to attend coaching clinics and provides all the necessary equipment for the league’s games. In addition, grants are used to help pay umpires and maintain baseball fields.

Since its inception, Dodgers RBI has grown year over year from 2,700 participants to nearly 10,000. Leaders and coaches hope that the program continues to grow and expand its influence in Los Angeles communities.

The Benefits of Playing Little League Baseball

W. Jerome Stanley serves as president and CEO of Stanley and Associates/SAFE Sports in Los Angeles, where he negotiates on behalf of professional athletes, coaches, and executives. Jerome Stanley also supports youth sports activities, including Little League Baseball.

Win or lose, young people who participate in Little League always come out ahead. Even those who don't reach great heights of physical performance and growth due to their participation walk away with many mental and social benefits.

Little League participants learn early on how to work in teams. Baseball requires trust and reliance on others, as no matter how skilled one player is, that player can't cover the entire field. It also encourages young people to be aware of their teammates' abilities and needs. This willingness to work in a group can build skills that will carry through a child's life.

Working with coaches, umpires, and other adult authority figures teaches participants a healthy respect for authority. This teaches skills including active listening, respectful disagreement, and accepting calls that don't go their way.

Finally, Little League participants learn how to make friends. Even one or two seasons of participation can lead to lifelong friendships, and the communication and attitude management skills involved can help them make more friends later.