Reviving Baseball in the Inner City (RBI)
"It's More Than Baseball...It's Life!"

Click here to register for USSSA tournaments.

Click here to make a donation to the RBI Program or to sponsor a team.Click here to sponsor an RBI youth through the Bat A Kid In program.Click here for more information about the Base Ball event benefiting RBI!

Click here for information on the RBI Slowpitch Softball Fall League. Click here to sign up now!

What is RBI?
Reviving Baseball in the Inner City (RBI) was founded in South Central Los Angeles in 1989 by former Major Leaguer John Young. Young set out to overcome obstacles – such as crime and a lack of funding for fields and equipment – that prevented inner city kids from learning and excelling at the game of baseball. More importantly, Young wanted to use participation in baseball as a means to overcome academic and social disadvantages most inner city kids face.

The result was a program that not only taught solid, fundamental baseball, but also promoted academic achievement and social responsibility as a requirement for participation. RBI hosts coaches’ seminars for instructors and administrators. The seminars cover on-field skills and discuss social skills that help young players cope with outside pressures.

RBI in Kansas CityThe RBI program at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City provides Kansas City boys and girls, ages 5-18, with the opportunity to play organized baseball and softball, while teaching teamwork, leadership and life skills. Since 1996, the program has been provided locally by the Boys & Girls Clubs in partnership with the Kansas City Royals, KCMO Parks & Recreation Department, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and Hot 103 JAMZ! radio station.                                                   

Today’s Growth

• From 1996 to the present, the RBI program has grown from approximately 150 youth, to nearly 1,000.
• Since 1996, the RBI program has given more than 4,000 urban boys and girls the opportunity to learn the sport of baseball and important life skills in a safe, supervised summer activity.
• Every year, the RBI program sends teams to the regional playoffs where they have the opportunity to qualify for the RBI World Series. 
• In 2006, the RBI girl's softball team won 3rd place in the RBI World Series
• In the spring of 2007, the RBI program was selected by The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation as one of five sites to be part of a pilot program to identify and strengthen quality RBI programs across the country; the local program will serve as evaluation agents, chosen upon proven track record with not only baseball and softball programs, but with youth in general.

The RBI program is expanding and growing, and the RBI Advisory Board is mindful of maintaining program quality. With this in mind, the Advisory Board created three task force committees to review the strength of the RBI program. These three committees are focused on marketing and resource development, recruitment and retention of players and volunteers, and the life skills component.
 

Life Skills Benefits
The motto of RBI is that "It's More Than Baseball...It's Life!" So coaches and staff realize that the program provides more than just the opportunity to play baseball or softball. It provides crucial life skills like teamwork, sportsmanship, respect and personal responsibility. The exhibition of positive life skills among RBI volunteers is instrumental to the success of reaching the desired outcomes. Coaches participate in annual orientations and are provided with a tool kit of discussion points to help them incorporate life skills into regular practice discussions. In addition, youth development professionals from the Boys & Girls Clubs lead training sessions. Each session is conducted at an already-scheduled team practice and delivered in a fun, active, baseball-themed manner.