Our annual baseball functional movement screen to decrease injury risk in kids
SPEAR’s Investment in Youth Sports & Our New Charitable Partnership
As the Yankees and Red Sox get set for another playoff showdown, SPEAR is announcing our renewed commitment to the youth of NYC by teaming up with Pitch in for Baseball & Softball (PIFBS), a charitable organization that shares our dedication to supporting young local athletes and helping them become the very best versions of themselves. In the past year, SPEAR has offered three free injury prevention clinics for young baseball and softball players across the city. Now that SPEAR has joined forces with PIFBS, we are excited to contribute even more. SPEAR is thrilled to announce that, with your help, we will match at least $10,000 in donations to PIFBS by the end of this year.
You can click here to join us in supporting young athletes in NYC – even a ten dollar donation helps!
At SPEAR, we have a passion for helping baseball players of all ages. For example, during the 2017 World Baseball Classic, CEO Dan Rootenberg was selected by MLB to be a team Physical Therapist and Strength & Conditioning Coach in Asia. Dan also coaches local little league which is close to his heart. This year Dan coached a SPEAR-sponsored team of 10-12 year old baseball players throughout their 2018 season, providing guidance and physical therapy (as needed) along the way. Each week the team discussed topics like teamwork, grit, handling adversity, goal-setting and focus. “Personally, I love coaching little league baseball because as a coach I’m not just teaching baseball skills, I’m teaching life lessons.” The players learned how to think like champions, practiced team building skills, and gained confidence. They also grew as baseball players: after a slow start, the team won the Peter Stuyvesant Little League Majors Championship and, from there, members of the team went on to become the Manhattan champs in their quest to reach the Little League World Series!
Pitch in for Baseball & Softball (PIFBS) is a registered 501(c)(3) not for profit organization that provides new and gently used baseball and softball equipment to boys and girls in NYC and around the world who want to play ball but lack the equipment to do so. SPEAR is thrilled to join forces with PIFBS, an organization that has helped over 800,000 kids gain access to baseball and softball through their equipment donations since 2005.
The 2018 SPEAR-sponsored little league championship team, coached by our CEO Dan Rootenberg (top left)
