Girls fastpitch softball clinics. Revolution Softball Camps: Elite Training for Young Athletes

How can young softball players improve their skills. What makes Revolution Softball Camps stand out from other training programs. Why should parents choose Revolution for their child’s softball development.

The Revolution Softball Camp Experience: Elevating Young Athletes

Revolution Softball Camps offers an unparalleled training experience for young softball players looking to elevate their game. With a focus on excellence, improvement, and sportsmanship, these camps provide a unique opportunity for athletes to develop their skills under the guidance of top-tier coaches. But what exactly sets Revolution apart from other softball training programs?

Elite Coaching Staff

At the heart of Revolution’s success is its exceptional coaching staff. Comprised of NCAA-level coaches from across the United States, the program ensures that campers receive instruction from some of the best minds in softball. This high-caliber coaching allows for personalized attention and tailored skill development for each athlete.

Comprehensive Skill Development

Revolution Camps offer a wide range of skill development opportunities, covering all aspects of softball. Campers can expect to improve their:

• Batting skills (stance, hit and runs, pull hitting, bunting, and power hitting)
• Pitching techniques (motions, release points, and pitcher-catcher communication)
• Fielding abilities (catching pop-flies and groundballs, relay throws, and double plays)
• Base-running strategies (stealing, pickles, and tagging up)
• Nutrition and conditioning knowledge

Flexible Camp Options to Suit Every Player’s Needs

Understanding that every athlete has different needs and schedules, Revolution Softball Camps offers various program options:

• Regular day camps
• Extended day camps
• Overnight camps

This flexibility allows players to choose the experience that best fits their lifestyle and training goals. Day camps provide intense training with the comfort of sleeping at home, while overnight camps offer a more immersive experience with additional scrimmages, swim breaks, and bonding opportunities.

Creating a Safe and Nurturing Environment for Young Athletes

Safety is paramount at Revolution Softball Camps. How do they ensure a secure environment for campers? The program implements several measures:

• Low camper-to-staff ratios for personalized attention
• Continuous supervision by caring and energetic staff
• Staff living in dormitories during overnight camps
• Emphasis on sportsmanship and positive development

These practices not only keep campers safe but also contribute to a positive and supportive atmosphere that fosters growth both on and off the field.

Beyond the Diamond: Holistic Player Development

Revolution Softball Camps understand that developing great softball players goes beyond just teaching physical skills. Their approach encompasses a holistic view of athlete development. How does this manifest in their programs?

Character Building

Through team activities and leadership opportunities, campers learn valuable life skills such as integrity, honesty, and mutual encouragement. These qualities not only make them better teammates but also more well-rounded individuals.

Mental Toughness

The intensive training environment challenges players to push their limits, developing mental resilience that serves them well in high-pressure game situations and in life beyond softball.

Nutritional Education

Understanding the importance of proper nutrition for athletic performance, Revolution incorporates education on healthy eating habits and sports nutrition into their programs.

The Revolution Difference: Innovative Training Techniques

What makes Revolution’s training approach stand out from traditional softball camps? Their innovative techniques and commitment to staying at the forefront of softball instruction set them apart.

Progressive Instructional Curriculum

Revolution’s curriculum is constantly evolving, incorporating the latest training methodologies and softball strategies. This ensures that campers are learning cutting-edge techniques that give them a competitive edge.

Technology Integration

Leveraging modern technology, Revolution uses video analysis and advanced metrics to provide detailed feedback on player performance, allowing for more precise skill refinement.

Situational Training

Rather than relying solely on repetitive drills, Revolution incorporates game-like situations into their training. This approach helps players develop quick decision-making skills and improves their overall softball IQ.

Preparing for the Next Level: College Softball Insights

For many young softball players, the ultimate goal is to play at the collegiate level. How does Revolution Softball Camps help prepare athletes for this transition?

Exposure to College-Level Coaching

With a staff comprised of NCAA coaches, campers get a taste of what college softball is like and what these programs look for in recruits.

Recruitment Education

Revolution provides information and guidance on the college recruitment process, helping players and their families navigate this complex journey.

Performance Evaluation

Coaches offer honest assessments of players’ strengths and areas for improvement, giving them a clear picture of what they need to work on to reach the next level.

Building Lasting Connections: The Revolution Softball Community

Beyond skill development, Revolution Softball Camps foster a sense of community among participants. How does this community aspect benefit young players?

Peer Networking

Campers have the opportunity to meet and bond with other passionate softball players from diverse backgrounds, creating friendships that can last well beyond the camp experience.

Mentorship Opportunities

Older or more experienced players often take on leadership roles, mentoring younger campers and developing their own leadership skills in the process.

Ongoing Support

The connections made at Revolution camps often extend beyond the camp duration, with many players staying in touch and supporting each other’s softball journeys throughout the year.

Measuring Success: The Impact of Revolution Softball Camps

How can parents and players gauge the effectiveness of Revolution Softball Camps? While individual experiences may vary, there are several key indicators of the program’s success:

Skill Improvement

Many campers report significant improvements in their technical skills, often seeing immediate results in their performance when they return to their school or travel teams.

Increased Confidence

The supportive environment and personalized instruction help boost players’ confidence, both on and off the field.

College Placements

A number of Revolution camp alumni have gone on to play softball at the collegiate level, attributing part of their success to the training and exposure they received at the camps.

Repeat Attendance

Many players choose to return to Revolution camps year after year, indicating high satisfaction with the program and continued value in the training offered.

Revolution Softball Camps have established themselves as a premier training option for young softball players looking to elevate their game. With their combination of elite coaching, comprehensive skill development, and focus on personal growth, these camps offer a unique opportunity for athletes to reach their full potential. Whether a player is just starting out or aiming for a college softball career, Revolution provides the tools, knowledge, and supportive environment necessary for success on the diamond and beyond.

As the softball landscape continues to evolve, Revolution Softball Camps remain committed to staying at the forefront of player development. Their dedication to excellence, improvement, and fostering a love for the game ensures that participants not only become better softball players but also grow into well-rounded individuals ready to face life’s challenges. For young athletes serious about taking their softball skills to the next level, Revolution Softball Camps offer an unparalleled opportunity to train, grow, and thrive in a supportive and challenging environment.

Parents considering Revolution Softball Camps for their young athletes can rest assured that they are investing in a program that prioritizes not just skill development, but also character building, safety, and fun. The comprehensive approach to player development, combined with the flexibility of various camp options, makes Revolution an excellent choice for softball players of all skill levels and aspirations.

As the summer softball season approaches, families looking to give their young athletes a competitive edge should consider the unique opportunities offered by Revolution Softball Camps. With their proven track record of success and commitment to individual player growth, these camps provide an ideal platform for young softball players to take their game to new heights and create lasting memories in the process.

Girls Softball | Softball Camps | Softball Training

COVID-19 CAMP PROTOCOLS & GUIDELINES

For more information on the guidelines we will be taking to help ensure the safety and health of our campers and staff this summer, Click Here!

For the Country’s Best Softball Training, Pick Revolution Softball Camps

Revolution Camps brings together top softball coaches and an intensive program to allow softball players to improve their game in a fun environment. We offer training at every skill and age level, from young beginners to top high school softball athletes. Our camps fit your schedules and your needs. Come for regular or extended day camps to get high quality training and then go home and sleep in our own bed at night. Or, attend an overnight camp to get a multiday experience full of scrimmages, training, swim breaks and plenty of time to bond with your peers.

With our passionate staff and creative daily schedule, you can expect a softball camp experience where you will become a better player, meet new friends and become a better person.

Why Revolution Softball Camps Beat the Competition

Our NCAA coaching staff is pulled from the top coaches in the U.S. to give every camper unparalleled softball training. With a low camper to staff ratio, every camper can get the personalized attention needed to focus on their specific needs and significantly improve their softball skills and overall performance.

We are dedicated to fostering an environment that is both safe and fun. Campers are supervised throughout their experience by a caring and energetic staff. On overnight camps, staff lives in the dormitories to give the campers quality supervision. During the day, every camper participates in a program that emphasizes sportsmanship, improvement, excellence and fun. The skills you learn at our softball camps will make you a better player on the field and a better person off it.

Daily softball training includes offensive and defensive training such as batting practice, team drills, position work with your coaches and individual work to improve your softball game.

What You’ll Learn at Revolution Softball Camps

Revolution Softball Camps distinguish themselves through the superior group and individual training that we offer. You don’t get stuck with tired drills. Our energetic staff will help you improve in skill areas that include:

• Batting skills like stance improvement, hit and runs, pull hitting, bunting and hitting for power
• Pitching skills that include pitching motions, release points and communication between pitcher and catcher
• Fielding skills for catching pop-flies and groundballs, performing relay throws and turning double plays
• Base-running skills that include stealing, pickles and tagging up
• Nutrition and conditioning

Softball Camp | About Revolution Softball Camps

Our summer softball camps are designed for athletes to learn, develop, and enhance their skills in all phases of softball. We provide the opportunity to become better softball players by hiring some of the best softball coaches and players in the sport today. Our staff is eager to help you improve and develop you into the best softball player possible!

While softball teams are developed in season, players are developed in the summer. Our summer softball camps have been designed so that every player will have the opportunity to improve their softball abilities, their skill level and positions.

At Revolution Softball Camps, our top-notch Directors and energetic staff are committed to the individual development of each camper. Our campers leave summer softball camp as not only better players, but with a renewed passion for continuing their softball improvement. Find out why!

Core Values

EXCELLENCE
We inspire our campers by providing an unforgettable experience that is the result of a dedicated staff, a progressive instructional curriculum and superior customer service.

FUN
We create lasting memories and friendships at camp by surrounding the campers with a passionate camp staff and a creative daily schedule that fosters meaningful interaction with all campers.   We always remember that after all, this is camp!

IMPROVEMENT
We provide a unique opportunity for campers to improve their game through personal attention, setting goals and an energetic staff that is committed to the individual development of each camper.

SAFETY
We promote a safe and healthy camp environment by providing a responsible staff that supervises all camp activities and who are trained to be role models for our campers both on and off the field.

SPORTSMANSHIP
We practice teamwork through leadership opportunities that lead to on-field lessons of integrity, honesty and mutual encouragement.

Instructional Programs

Softball players of all ability levels and positions will benefit from a week at a Revolution Softball Camp. Campers will participate in a variety of offensive, defensive, and situational softball drills that they can use as the foundation for their future softball career. Each staff member is dedicated to the personal development and improvement of every softball camper. All instructional programs are offered each session.

Safety and Supervision

The staff supervises campers for the entire duration of the softball camp. For overnight camps, the staff will reside in the dormitories with the campers, providing supervision. Campers are expected to show respect towards other campers and the host facility. Drugs, alcohol and tobacco products are strictly forbidden, and will result in immediate dismissal from camp without refund.

Softball Highlights | Girls Softball Programs by Revolution Camps

Softball Camp Highlights

• Outstanding NCAA Staff
• Revolution Softball Camp T-Shirt
• Low Softball Player to Staff Ratio
• Individual Attention
• Camper Awards
• Camp Prizes

Teaching Curriculum

Softball Batting Camp: will focus on batting stance, hit and runs, bunting, pull hitting, opposite field hitting, and hitting for power
Softball Fielding Camp: will work on groundballs, pop-fly’s, relay throws, fly-balls, pickles, and turning double plays
Softball Pitching Camp: will work on communication between catcher and pitcher, types of pitches, pitching motions, and release points
Softball Base-running Camp: Will practice hit and runs, stealing, tagging up, and pickles

Supervision

Overnight campers at the Revolutions Softball Camps will sleep on campus in dormitories and eat their meals in the dining hall. The staff lives in the dorms and chaperones all the off field/evening activities to provide supervision.

What To Bring To Softball Camp

 Health Form
 Glove, Bat, Helmet, Cleats, Catchers Gear (if Catcher)
 Water Bottle
 Sneakers
 Athletic Socks
 T-Shirts
 Shorts
 Sweatshirt
 Off-Field Clothes
 Pajamas (overnight Only)
 Bedding Linens (overnight Only)
 Blanket/Sleeping Bag (overnight Only)
 Pillow (overnight Only)
 Shower Towel (overnight Only)
 Toiletries (overnight Only)
 Alarm Clock (overnight Only)
 Sunscreen
 Spending Money – we recommend bringing no more than $50 (overnight Only)
 Key Deposit Check – made out to “Revolution Softball Camps” (overnight Only)
 Bathing Suit & towel TBD
 Hat
 NO TANK TOPS
 Sliding Pads
 Flip Flops/Shower Shoes

Check In/Check Out

*Some softball camps may vary. To find out the time and location of each check in/check out, please see the camper packets under the “forms” page or email support@SummerSoftballCamp. com

Typical Softball Schedule

Softball Camps USA – College Softball Prospect Camps

Calling all youth softball student-athletes from grades 2^nd – 8^th! You are invited to the Wildcat Kid Clinic on the campus of Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Indiana.

Come learn the following skills from the Wildcat Softball Team: baserunning, hitting, catching and throwing. Camp attendees will be divided by age and skill level to learn the fundamentals from our student-athletes and staff. All skill levels welcome!

We will also have a short Bible Pow Wow with each group, sharing about Jesus and how we play Softball at IWU for God and each other! Clear your calendar and get signed up for the only $1 camp of the year. Camp registration fee can be paid at the gate the day of the camp.

See you at Wildcat field!

Check-in for Clinic

Check-in will be held at the entrance gate to the outfield of Wildcat Field. Each registered attendee will check-in with the IWU Softball Coaching Staff. Due to COVID-19, at this time, only registered attendees will be allowed on the field, in the dugouts and/or batting cages for the duration of the camp.

Guests

Guests are currently welcome to the clinic and remain in the stands or on the outside perimeter of Wildcat Field. Please note, our ability to welcome guests to the camp is subject to change. As school leadership and local health official continue to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic, updates to guest attendance policies will be shared with registered clinic attendees and their families prior to the date of the clinic.

What to Bring

Equipment, water bottle, softball attire (softball pants, tennis shoes, cleats, t-shirt/practice shirt/jersey top)

Release of Liability Form

Each student registered to attend the clinic must bring with them a signed release of liability form. The release form is downloadable from www.indwessoftball.com. It must be signed by a parent or legal guardian.

COVID-19

IWU Softball reserves the right to make any necessary adjustments or cancellations to this clinic if the COVID-19 situation alters governmental and/or IWU policies & guidelines. The health and safety of registered clinic attendees, guests, as well as our program’s student’ athletes and personnel is of the utmost importance to us. A COVID-19 screening process may be required at check-in, as guided by IWU policy. Registered attendees will be required to pass the screening before gaining entrance to the camp. Any registered attendee who has been exposed to COVID-19 and/or is ill prior to the camp should not attend the camp. We appreciate students and their families working with us to ensure the health and wellbeing of all in attendance.

Refund Policy

Registration fees, processing fees, and Ryzer fees are non-refundable at any time.

Questions

Email the IWU Softball Coaching Staff at [email protected].

Official site of Jennie Finch

LEARN TO:

practice like a champion play like a champion and live like a champion!

Join Jennie Finch and her Olympic and Professional softball teammates for two full days of personal instruction covering all aspects of softball. Come and learn from the best softball players in the world. Discover what it takes to be a Champion on and off the field!

Jennie Finch Softball Camps offer instruction for all positions and aspects of the game. Usually held over a Saturday and Sunday, camps offer each camper the opportunity to interact with and learn from some of the best softball players in the World, including professional, Olympic, and collegiate athletes.

Camp Medal Pictures: You can view and order the digital file of your picture with Jennie HERE.

Campers will receive:

• 2 days of instruction from Olympians, professional coaches and players
• Certificate of participation
• Personal photo taken with Jennie and her medals
• Autographed photo of Jennie
• Official camp t-shirt
• Raffle giveaways – and a great time enjoying the sport of softball!

Camp Specifics:

• 
  $205 per camper
• 
  Question and answer session open to campers, coaches and parents
• 
  Finch Windmill demonstration&Live pitching demo by Jennie
• 
  Drawings for prizes such as – USA Softball goodies, Mizuno equipment and much more!
• 
  Participants must be in 3rd Grade or older.
• 
  Campers need to bring their glove and any equipment needed to participate.
• 
  Lodging is NOT provide by Jennie Finch Camps.
• 
  All positions (pitching, catching, infield, outfield) and hitting are taught by camp staff.

@JennieFinch

Winter Softball Clinics | Throwing, Hitting, Fielding

Home      Softball      Winter Softball Clinics

Softball Training For Athletes Ages 5+

In The Net’s goal is to provide the best softball skills development programs and game/tournament opportunities for girls of all ages and abilities through positive, fun and professional coaching methods.

ITN has teamed up with the Nashua Nightmares USA Girls Fast Pitch Softball Program:

• Seeking 12U / 14U / 16U level players
• Fall Practices and Scrimmages
• Winter work outs once per week January through April at Nashua Sports Academy
• Spring/Summer Practices, Scrimmages and Tournaments
• Two options for players:

o   Tournament Level (includes uniform, scrimmage and tournament costs)
o   Developmental  Level (includes winter work outs and practices only)

Softball Camps – Tuckahoe Sports

Tuckahoe Sports (TSI) offers a series of softball camps throughout the entire year to keep your athlete at her peak.  Instruction provided by TSI Softball Director of Player Development Shireese Borden. Registration is available via our EZFacility registration system for upcoming classes. If you are new to EZFacility, you can simply create a new account via the Log In button.

**Refunds/Cancellations Policy:  No refunds available, credit can be applied to your account for use for future class/clinic/camp within a year if requested 7 days prior to start of class/clinic/camp.  

Pitching Mechanics Clinic with Rick Pauly/Pauly Girl Fastpitch

Date: October 16th
Time: 3:00PM-5:30PM
Ages: 8-14  Beginner/Intermediate Pitchers
Location: TSI Training Center

Instructor:  Rick Pauly  

Oct 16th |Cost: $100| REGISTER

What to Bring:

• Each pitcher must bring their own, fully geared catcher
• Gym shoes (no cleats)
• Parents/Coaches are encouraged to stay for the entire clinic…get involved.

Beginners clinic with the focus on the mechanics of a basic fastball.  Designed to teach the basic pitching mechanics that all young pitchers need to learn.  Rick Pauly will be the lead instructor for the clinic.  Each pitcher must bring their own full geared catcher.   Clinic limited to 20 pitchers.

(Please arrive 30 minutes early to register & begin warm-up)

“How to Make the Ball Move” Advanced/Intermediate Clinic with Rick Pauly/Pauly Girl Fastpitch

Date: December 4th
Time: 4:00PM-6:30 PM
Ages: 8-14  Advanced/Intermediate Pitchers
Location: TSI Training Center

Instructor:  Rick Pauly  

Dec 4th |Cost: $100| REGISTER

What to Bring:

• Each pitcher must bring their own, fully geared catcher
• Gym shoes (no cleats)
• Parents/Coaches are encouraged to stay for the entire clinic…get involved.

This clinic will give you the tips/techniques for throwing a Riseball, Dropball and  Change Up.   Coach Pauly is a master at developing safe and efficient mechanics in pitchers.  He will share the foundation you will need to become an elite pitcher.  Rick Pauly will be the lead instructor for the clinic with assistance from TSI Instructors.  Limited to 20 pitchers

(Please arrive 30 minutes early to register & begin warm-up)

90,000 softball – from English to Russian

State budgetary educational institution “School (technical school) of the Olympic reserve No. 2”

Softball (eng.softball) – a sports team ball game, a kind of baseball. A softball is similar in size to a grapefruit, softer than a baseball, and has a slower flight speed.

Both men and women play softball. There are several varieties of the game: “Fast Pitch” – “Fast Feed”, “Slow Pitch” – “Slow Feed”, “Modify Pitch” – “Medium Feed”. The Olympic discipline from 1996 to 2008 was the fast-pitch game among women’s teams.

In many countries where baseball is prevalent, softball is an alternative to baseball preferred by non-professionals and women. Differences in softball from baseball are aimed at reducing injuries and are adapted to the lower physical capabilities of athletes.

History

Softball was born in 1887. The game was originally called mushball or kittenball. In the 1920s. got its modern name.The International Softball Federation (ISF, ISF) was founded in 1965 and as of 2001 united 122 national federations. The world championships are held: for women – since 1965, for men – since 1966. Softball was part of the Summer Olympics program from 1996 (Atlanta) to 2008 (Beijing).

In the USSR, softball began to develop in 1987. The first tournaments were held in Belgorod, Tashkent, Krasnoyarsk. In 1991, the first and only USSR women’s softball championship took place. The team “Viktoria” (Tiraspol, Moldavian SSR) became the champion.

In 1992, the first open championship of Russia was held. The team “Black cats” became the champion. The second place was taken by the team “Bashkiria”. Softball players from Georgia took the third place.

Softball V UOR

Since the opening (September 1, 2005) of the “Moscow Regional School of Olympic Reserve in Team Sports” (hereinafter GBPOU MO “UOR No. 2″), the softball department has trained 17 athletes with the title of “Master of Sports of Russia”, 8 athletes – ” International Masters of Sports of Russia “.Pupils of the department have repeatedly become winners and prize-winners of official all-Russian and international competitions and are part of the Russian national softball teams in various age categories.

90,000 Her own league – Other

Alumni

76NRS Sharon Robinson continues her father’s legacy.

From Paul Hond | Summer 2017

Jackie Robinson. Courtesy of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Numbers say. They tell a story. Remember baseball cards? Children could read player statistics by heart.These numbers add up to something – the sum of your skill and effort. Take Jackie Robinson, the Brooklyn Dodgers infielder who broke baseball’s color barrier in 1947: 125 runs were scored in his rookie season; the average level of 0.342 in the 49th year; six pennants; nineteen home plate career thefts.

76NRS Sharon Robinson knows her father’s numbers. But what if someone was tracking her professional statistics – like a nurse midwife? Fifty births in the first six months of practice…. … a hundred for the first year. … … 250 in five years. Sharon gave birth to about 750 babies – Hank Aaron’s territory. And that’s not counting the births, which she watched as a teacher, first at Columbia School of Nursing, and then at Yale, Howard and Georgetown.

There are more. How about nine published books, 1,500 undergraduate scholarships from the Jackie Robinson Foundation, and thirty-two million children through the Breaking Barriers: In Sports, in Life education program that Sharon began in 1997? These numbers tell many stories.

What if there were chewing gum cards for everyone?

S Charon Robinson is terribly accessible to a member of the cultured royal family. She is unpretentious, thoughtful, laughs quickly. You can see her father in her face, you can hear him in her voice, but after a minute you can almost forget that this is the daughter of an American folk hero.

When Sharon was born in 1950, her father was one of the most famous and important people in the country. As the first black player in the major tournaments of the modern era, Jackie Robinson electrified baseball with his dynamic, aggressive style and ferocious will, and with his courage and dignity, he propelled the nation forward.Polls put him in second place after Bing Crosby, and Life photographers came to take family portraits ten years before Kennedy and the astronauts.

Being the daughter of Jackie Robinson was associated with blessings and problems. “I realized very early that I had shared my dad with the world,” says Sharon. Her father was a passionate civil rights activist who spoke with Martin Luther King, Jr., and he instilled in his family a spirit of service and commitment – an ongoing family mission, Sharon says – to work for social change.Jackie Robinson has often said that life is not important, except for the impact it has on other lives. The words are inscribed on his tombstone, and Sharon lives by them.

Sharon Robinson (John Vecchio)

SHharon was six years old when her father retired from baseball after the 1956 season. To protect his family’s privacy, Jackie Robinson moved the family from an integrated area on Long Island to a new home on six acres in North Stamford, Connecticut. There was a lake on the territory where the children – Jackie Jr., Sharon and David – skated in the winter.Sharon recalls how her father, who could not swim and was afraid of water, went out to the frozen surface every year to check the thickness of the ice.

To her father, she was sweet, shy Sharon – so sweet, he said, that she could sweeten his tea with her little finger. Her mother, Rachel, was beautiful, sophisticated and educated. Sharon and her brothers grew up in a glow of excellence and glory, and that glow inevitably cast shadows. How could they ever match? Or establish your identity, or recognize your success? Even Sharon, a girl, a middle child who had never faced baseball bats that strangers with cameras crawled into her arms, became aware as she got older that she needed to get pressured.

She was an athlete in high school. She played basketball, softball and volleyball and loved to swim. In many ways, it was an ordinary childhood: family dinners, playing Monopoly with my father, afternoon soap operas with my maternal grandmother who lived with her family. ( Dr. was their favorite.) Sometimes Sharon would sneak off with her grandmother’s romance novels. Sharon always thought that she would get married, give birth to many children, and perhaps even write her own love story.But her mother, a psychiatric nurse who taught at Yale University, pushed her towards college and a career.

difference in the example difference

Meanwhile, her mother and grandmother pampered the boys: the rebellious, sensitive Jackie Jr. and the adventurous, cheerful David. And dad was at the center of everything.

“My mother is on the side of men — whether it’s boys or my father, they are exalted,” says Sharon. This is partly cultural in the black community because we see men as more ambitious; they pose a great threat to the status quo.We want them to be safe. We think we are boosting their self-esteem, but in reality it makes women super-strong and kind of weakens men. Sharon laughs. They must be pushed out of the nest earlier. Typically, black families treat girls like this: they push them out. We’re not going to spoil you; you will need to take care of your family, your church and your community .

From left to right: Sharon, Jackie, David, Rachel and Jackie Jr.

Sharon knew from childhood that someday she would want to work in the hospital (perhaps she watched all these hours Doctor ), and in 1968 she entered Howard University to study nursing.In the same year, against the wishes of her parents, she married a young man who, unbeknownst to her parents or anyone else, abused her physically and emotionally for two years, which undermined her already fragile self-esteem. They were married a year before Sharon found the strength to leave. Then, in 1971, her brother Jackie, who had survived a Vietnam tour and recovered from heroin addiction, died in a car accident at the age of twenty-four.

examples of pandemic diseases

By the time the 1972 World Series was held in Cincinnati, where her father was to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of breaking the color barrier, Sharon was at a low level.Her second marriage fell apart, she mourned her brother and was still coping with the trauma of her first marriage.

Yet she treasured this moment in Cincinnati. The family held together tightly, although her father, gray and blind in one eye, seemed older than his fifty-three years. His diabetes advanced and his heart broke down. Jackie Robinson died nine days after the tribute.

The funeral was held in New York at the Riverside Church. Jesse Jackson gave a eulogy. No grave can hold this body , he said. It belongs to the ages .

After her brother died, Sharon watched her mother collapse and then reassembled. Rachel Robinson, like her husband, was a fighter, and Sharon came from her mother’s resilience.

She was also grateful that towards the end of her father’s life she had the opportunity to talk to him about her future. Sharon was interested in women’s health, and she came up with the idea of ​​going to the Medical Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Her father was delighted: it didn’t matter to him whether she went or not; he was just glad she believed in herself to consider it.

As it turned out, Sharon chose a different path. In Howard, she learned about obstetrics, and the more she thought about it, the more she realized that she did not want to have a caesarean section. She wanted to be part of the whole birthing process. She wanted to be a midwife.

The Columbia School of Nursing has a nursing midwife training program. Founded in 1955, it was the first of its kind in the country. For Sharon, Columbia was the perfect place: a pioneering urban school where she could work with a diverse population.She went in and started.

According to Sharon, it was a very exciting time because the health status of women was changing. Women received basic rights regarding contraception, abortion and childbirth itself: they had more choice in how they gave birth, had a voice in their care, and involved the family in the birth process. This was all part of my era.

After graduating from Columbia University, she completed an internship at Los Angeles County Hospital. It was one of the best internships in a country with a lot of childbirth and I got a lot of experience in six months.I have had to work in a variety of crazy circumstances. Sometimes women gave birth in the hallway. She then joined a small home birth clinic in West Los Angeles: when her pager went out, she was cycling from her home in Venice to expectant mothers in Santa Monica. “Midwives in this country started out in Kentucky and rode horses,” says Sharon, who owned a horse as a child. Think of it as the modern day Kentucky midwife for beachgoers.

Her next stop was San Francisco General Hospital, where she treated pregnant teenagers.This was my specialty: adolescent health and self-esteem work, because self-esteem was such a big problem for me. I spent time with a teen to help her build confidence and make her understand that part of a good parent is self-confidence.

“A good obstetric experience means you have a bond with your mother-to-be from birth to birth,” says Sharon. She spent many hours in the dimly lit maternity wards listening. And then there was childbirth. This is what I miss the most – the touch, the feeling of a child, the new life that comes out and you hold it and pass it on to the mother.It’s incredible to see.

1978 was another turbulent year. Sharon got engaged, then got pregnant, and then left her fiancé and moved back to the east, where her son Jesse was born. She stayed at home with Jesse for a year and then returned to Columbia in the fall of 1979 to teach at the School of Nursing.

Jesse was everything to Sharon. Raising him was not easy. According to Sharon, he had dyslexia and ADHD, speech and hearing problems – many things that required intervention.It was difficult for me to deal with all this as a single parent. After three years at Columbia University, Sharon needed a nine-to-five structure, so she took a job at PUSH for Excellence, Jesse Jackson’s high school education nonprofit.

In 1987, while at PUSH, Sharon spoke to Ebony for an article about whether a famous name helps or hurts. In it, Sharon revealed that she went to high school because she wanted to change her name.She said that I did not realize it then, but wanted to remain anonymous. She left her married surname in Howard to avoid preferential treatment; it was necessary for her to do it herself. And after seeing what Jackie Jr. went through – constant, impossible comparisons – she refused to name her son Jack. But she soon regained the name Robinson. As she said Ebony : Once you integrate this into your being as a whole, it becomes an important asset, especially in my case, because my father was highly respected by all kinds of people.In Ebony , a writer told her that she should write a book about her life.

And so Sharon started carrying a notebook with her, writing down her thoughts. I wasn’t sure if it would ever be a book; “I was just writing and researching what it means to be abused by your spouse,” she says. Then I thought that if I can write this part, I can write anything.

Her memoir, Home Theft , came out in 1996 from Harper-Collins. In it, she talked about her childhood, family life, the difficulties that arose in integrating her purely white school and the district, about her marriage, her father’s politics and partnerships with her parents.Since then, she has published two novels for young adults and seven children’s books.

She plans to write at least one more.

i In 1997, on the golden anniversary of Jackie Robinson’s historic appearance on the football field, Sharon attended the ceremony at the Mets-Dodgers game at Shea Stadium. Her son threw the first ball, and her mother and President Clinton made speeches. That same year, Sharon joined Major League Baseball as Vice President of Educational Programs, teaming up with publisher Scholastic to create a character development program for children.After twenty years of caring for the sick, Sharon was ready for the next chapter. This is how her program “Breaking down barriers: in sports, in life” was born.

“We introduce children to nine values ​​that I associate with my father’s success on and off the field: courage, determination, teamwork, perseverance, decency, citizenship, fairness, commitment and excellence,” says Sharon. We use these values ​​to develop strategies to help children overcome obstacles in their lives.The curriculum includes an essay competition in which two winners are awarded in the All-Star Game and the World Series.

Sharon is also Vice Chair of the Jackie Robinson Foundation (JRF), a scholarship program for low-income students of color that her mother founded in 1973. 66LAW Martin Edelman is co-founder and secretary. Chairman – 89SEAS Gregg Gonsalves, who attended Columbia University as a Jackie Robinson Fellow.

“JRF is my mom’s child,” says Sharon.She is very strong, independent and very clearly understands what she wants to achieve. She does not take on what she does not insist on in order to succeed.

This spring, JRF began construction on the Jackie Robinson Museum, scheduled to open in Soho in 2019. It won’t be just artifacts and baseball. There is no civil rights museum in New York City, Sharon said. We feel that this museum will fill this gap, and we are very happy that this will be done during the life of my mother.

Teaching and Learning Center

Although Sharon is committed to this work, she also looks to the future.“My mother is ninety-four years old and I am very supportive at this stage in her life,” she says. But I know it’s important to understand my next step.

Tone composes for the Breaking Down Barriers competition. is about adversity, and many of them focus on disease, a topic well known to Sharon. She has lupus (an autoimmune inflammatory disease) and high blood pressure. In 2008, she underwent double bypass surgery.

Around the same time, Jesse, then twenty-nine, fell ill and fell into a coma for two weeks.He, like his grandfather, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in adults. “In my father’s family, it’s about men,” Sharon says. They have very severe diabetes and heart disease. He missed a generation with my brother and I knew my son would get it. I just knew.

Although Jesse experienced a coma, his symptoms worsened. In 2013, he suffered a fatal heart attack. He was thirty-four years old.

OR On April 15, 2017, Sharon arrived at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, ten miles from Pasadena, where Jackie Robinson grew up.Seventy years have passed since that immortal day at Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, when Jack Roosevelt Robinson, in his white Dodgers jersey, stepped clubfoot across the grass toward the backyard.

Guests and dignitaries gathered in the square on the left: Sharon’s mother, Rachel; Sharon’s brother David, who lives in Tanzania, where he runs a coffee cooperative; the extended Robinson family; Jackie teammates Sandy Kufax, Don Newcomb and Tommy Lasorda; Dave Roberts, the team’s first black manager, is now in his sophomore year; Co-owner of Dodgers Magic Johnson; and 76LAW by Dodgers CEO Stan Kasten.Nearby, blue curtains concealed a statue – the first in Dodger Stadium history.

On the count of three, the curtain fell, revealing a bronze-clad Jackie Robinson sliding towards the plate with his right fist extended as he concludes baseball’s most daring game: home burglary.

Sharon was glad to share the moment with her mother. These events are more than just a celebration.

cohen v. California

“Anniversaries allow us to focus not only on the past, but also on where we are now,” says Sharon.They help us understand where we still need to work hard to reverse the rollback and move forward. These are moments of reflection, and not just for baseball.

S Charon Robinson loves water. She divides her time between New York and Delray Beach, Florida. The beach at Delray is beautiful; water, healing.

“I’ve been trying to figure out who I am since my son died,” Sharon says dryly. She is filled with fortitude and grace; there are no statistics for this.