Indio Youth Sports Association

Desert Baseball Knights is a travel baseball organization serving children ages 8-14 in the Eastern Coachella Valley. Desert Baseball Knights was created to give economically disadvantaged athletes the ability to learn a higher level of baseball skills and to play against other higher level baseball teams throughout California and the continental United States. DBK is unlike other travel division programs because there is no monthly fee charge for the players to participate. All coaches are volunteers and money is needed for league insurance and field use fees. We also plan on hosting 4 or more free baseball/softball training camps to help players that are registered with the local recreational baseball league.

The funding through ACF will be used to obtain liability insurance and pay for field use fees for 9 economically disadvantaged Eastern Valley travel ball teams. These funds will help to further train these players for a higher level of baseball play. Along with training these players, we will also be able to host baseball/ softball training clinics which will be operated by the DBK travel players to instill in them the importance of giving back to your community, to teach them patience and understanding, and at the end of each clinic the feeling of a job well done. The final goal of the DBK program is to show each player the value of hard work, commitment, and humility with the hope that going through our program helps assist them through high school and maybe earning college scholarships.

Kelsey's Heroes is a year round special needs sports program in which every child or adult, regardless of their special needs, is provided the opportunity to participate in swim, basketball, and baseball whilst providing an environment that enhances the participant's self-esteem, physical mobility, and embodies the spirit of teamwork and community. The funds requested will go towards the two baseball seasons where their special needs children will learn to catch, throw, run, and bat with the assistance of the volunteers and board members of Kelsey's Heroes. Kelsey's Heroes has been around for three years and is 100% funded through donations of equipment and money, as well as fundraising. With the funding's from ACF, every registered Kelsey's Heroes kid will be equipped from head to toe with a full professional style uniform. Included in the request, the money will go towards the funding of supplies needed to chalk the fields, drag the fields, provide bases, and the labor to maintain all of the above to make sure the fields are ready for their children to play their hearts out.

The IYSA snack bar, based in Indio, serves over 1,200 Mid-Valley baseball and softball players between the ages of 3-16, as well as their parents and siblings. During the regular and fall ball seasons, the snack bar is open Monday-Friday 4:30-9:30 PM. On special occasions, where clinics and tournaments are taking place, the snack bar is also open on the weekends and as early as 7:00 AM. The snack bar is manned by volunteers and the IYSA board members, where they also take part in stocking it, taking inventory, and maintaining the cleanliness and appearance. Revenue generated from the snack bar is used to pay the league umpires, replenish the snack bar, and any profit remaining goes into the general fund to purchase other needed supplies and equipment. The ultimate goal with the ACF funding’s is to generate additional income through the sale of new items at the snack bar which in turn will help keep league fees charged to children who wish to play baseball and softball the lowest possible.