BELIZE CITY, Mon. Oct.1, 2018– Baseball is being resurrected in the Jewel by the Baseball and Softball Visionary Foundation, comprising of a group of men from Belize City who are excellent baseball players. They are Andrew Tramel, Troy Williams, Carlyon Flores, Sr. (President of the Foundation) and Anthony Smith.

The aim of the foundation is to establish and resurrect baseball in Belize, build state of the art baseball stadiums in Belize City and in Belmopan, after which they will incorporate structure, including Minor and Major Leagues, which is hoped to produce excellent baseball players from Belize, who can potentially be drafted by multimillion dollar companies, and that they would be able to earn millions of dollars in contracts, like other players who are drafted  from Central  America and the Caribbean who are presently playing  in the Major Leagues. The foundation is also hoping to attract recruiters and sporting networks to come to Belize to recruit players, and that baseball will contribute to the economy of the nation, by creating jobs for people. Besides hoping to attract millions of dollars in income, the foundation will also seek to instill discipline in youths through sports, as a means of making money and to offer an alternative to crime.

The foundation will be working with children from ages 6 to 21, and it will also work with schools to develop a Baseball Curriculum as a part of their sporting events.

The Baseball and Softball Visionary Foundation was inaugurated at 11:30 a.m. on Friday morning in a small ceremony at the National Sports Council Headquarters at the Marion Jones Sports Complex.

The Foundation President, Carlyon Flores said that there will be many possibilities and opportunities through baseball, but first 6 acres of land is required on which to build the stadium in Belize City. Belize City is targeted because it is the area with the largest population, among many other factors. However, about $100,000 is required to purchase the land; but when the land is acquired, there are people who are going to fund the construction of the stadium; but all that is needed is the land. The foundation will seek assistance, from the Government of Belize and the people of the Jewel for help to get the land.

Flores said that Athletic Development will be carried out by the foundation, and that will attract recruiters that will bring opportunities to players.

Anthony Smith is the Vice President of the Baseball Foundation and also a coach and trainer. In his address to the small gathering, he said that baseball can be used as a weapon to combat crime and poverty, and can be used to bring opportunities nationally and internationally, since there are many recruiters looking for good baseball players from many countries and teams. He said he played both baseball and basketball in the United States for about 16 years, and has come home to help people get opportunities through the sports. He will train, coach and direct people to baseball. He wants to develop excellent players acceptable to any baseball company. He wants to bring baseball back so that people can get opportunities and make money.

Troy Williams is the Active Recruiter of the Foundation. In his speech to the audience, Williams said that boys should play baseball, and girls play softball. He reiterated that there are opportunities in baseball. There are so many talents in Belize, and it will be lost if not trained. Many have already been lost. They are beginning with children, and will instill the discipline and the love of the game in them, so that they can become excellent baseball players. The foundation is now the vanguard, and they will open the doors for the opportunities to come, and they, the executive will be working in the background.

Carlyon Flores told the gathering that with the right attitude, training and the love of baseball, Belizean players can enjoy success like other players who have been recruited. Imagine how the economy of the country and the lives of people would change if 400 Belizean baseball players would become millionaires. He said that youths are being killed, and lives are being lost, and crime is high. He said that the Baseball and Softball Visionary Foundation is now here to help people to improve themselves through sports.

He said that when they get the land, they will build a stadium that will meet all requirements that will encourage international recruiters to come to Belize.

100,000 people are urged to give $1.00 each to the foundation to purchase the land for the stadium to be built. People can send the donation to Atlantic Bank Account 100-280-170.

Flores said that Rogers Stadium cannot be used for baseball, because it has been designed for softball. On Sundays, they teach the basics of baseball at Rogers Stadium to people, while they wait to acquire the land to build the baseball stadium.