As I entered my new office at 245 Park Avenue for the first day of my internship, I paused to consider the opportunity in front of me. I was surrounded by a mix of nostalgic memorabilia that gave a nod to baseball’s glorious past and an enthusiastic group of co-workers who are defining what the future of baseball and softball looks like for our youth. And so went my first reaction to working for the Baseball Tomorrow Fund (BTF), a joint initiative of Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association to promote the growth of youth participation in baseball and softball.

As a second year MBA student at New York University’s Stern school, I’ve had the chance to interact with executives at a number of top class organizations in the sports industry including Nike, the NBA, and the NFL. I can assure you that the philanthropic efforts at each of these companies, and most certainly MLB, impact hundreds of thousands of children around the world every year. The charitable work of each of the companies is doubly important because sports have the unique ability to help our youth develop all important interpersonal skills like teamwork, leadership and fair play in an engaging and fast-paced environment. Only after mastering these skills can an individual be successful both on and off the field.

The opportunity to work with the BTF particularly appealed to me because it combines many of my passions – volunteering, sports and marketing. Some of my past travels have taken me to an orphanage in Jamaica to run a soccer camp and to youth rehabilitation centers in London to connect troubled teenagers and professional athletes. In each case, the influence of sports was able to transcend barriers and deliver a positive impact to those who were in need. The BTF shares this same ethos by funding programs, fields, coaches’ training, and the purchase of uniforms and equipment to encourage and maintain youth participation in the game.

In my three months at MLB I’ll be working on several projects such as planning for 2011 Equipment Day, developing social media strategy and maintaining social media properties, and increasing the effectiveness of our website. I look forward to working with a group of people who shares my passions and to making a positive social impact in a tangible way.

Please take the time to support our cause by joining our Facebook community and by following us on Twitter.

Signing off.

Tony Watkins