Topic: Obesity, Physical Activity
Target Population: Middle Childhood
Sector: Community-Based
This program is for children who are 5 to 12 years old and live in urban communities that are under-served.
Jr. RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities), a community-based program, is designed to engage urban youth in baseball and softball leagues and is designed to revitalize interest and participation in these sports.
No peer-reviewed publications evaluating the effectiveness of this program were located.
Jr. RBI is a youth outreach program that is intended to provide opportunities for urban youth to play baseball and softball and create a positive experience for youth and their parents. It is a companion program to the RBI™ (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) program*, which is for adolescents. Implementation of this program depends upon partnerships between Major League Baseball (MLB) and non-profit organizations, such as Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA), city parks, recreation departments, local youth sports and youth associations, and Police Athletic Leagues.
Three age-group divisions (i.e., 5 to 7, 8 to 10, and 11 to 12) are recommended in order to promote player safety, and each division has age-specific rules. For example, pitch counts are used to protect children's developing arms from stress.
In addition, the focus for each age group varies. For younger players (i.e., 5 to 10 years old), the program focuses on having fun and teaching the fundamentals of the sport. For older players (i.e., 11 to 12 years old) the emphasis is on introducing participants to competitive play.
This program culminates with The Jr. RBI Classic, which is hosted by Major League Baseball (MLB) in July.
*A separate fact sheet is available for this program.
Jr. RBI was established in 2009. As of 2014 there were over 120 leagues with more than 130,000 youth participating in Jr. RBI divisions.
Information about training was not located; however, the MLB may provide assistance with training and education clinics.
Considerations for implementing this program include understanding that this program is located in urban areas only, developing potential partnerships with non-profit organizations to provide regional support, finding a location for practices that has a 60-foot diamond with a 46-foot pitching distance for baseball or 35- to 40-foot pitching distance for softball, acquiring necessary sporting equipment, and realizing that transportation may be a barrier for some participants.
The Clearinghouse can help address these considerations. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu
If you are interested in implementing the Jr. RBI program, the Clearinghouse is interested in helping you!
Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu
Information about implementation time was not located.
Financial support is often partially or completely provided by MLB clubs. In addition, MLB clubs may provide assistance with acquiring equipment and resources. For more details, please contact Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities using the information in the Contact section.
To move Jr. RBI to the Promising category on the Clearinghouse Continuum of Evidence, at least one evaluation should be performed demonstrating positive effects lasting at least one year from the beginning of the program or at least six months from program completion.
The Clearinghouse can help you develop an evaluation plan to ensure the program components are meeting your goals. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu
Contact the Clearinghouse with any questions regarding this program.
Phone: 1-877-382-9185 Email: Clearinghouse@psu.edu
You may also contact the MLB Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities by phone 1-866-800-1275, email rbi@mlb.com, or visit https://www.mlb.com/rbi/contact
