Blue Sox Holyoke—Social Programs Opportunity

The Blue Sox is a baseball team in Holyoke, MA. The athletes who play on The Holyoke Blue Sox come from top colleges across the country and many of the players get drafted into Major League Baseball teams. Such professional sport teams that the Blue Sox athletes have been drafted in are: The Red Sox, White Sox, Angels, Blue Jays, Braves, Brewers, Mariners, Nationals and Tigers.

The Blue Sox have been a member of the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL www.necbl.com ) since 2008. The NECBL is partially sponsored by Major League Baseball and has 12 teams in all of the New England states who recruit athletes from around the world to take part in joining the Blue Sox in order to learn the skills necessary to play in the Major Leagues.

Aspiring and talented baseball players come to The Pioneer Valley for the summer to play for the Holyoke Blue Sox. These athletes come from all over the United States to become part of this fun and learning experience where they come to practice and increase their baseball playing skills. 42 baseball games are performed during the 60 days of summer, so these players get a lot of practice in getting better at their game.

While coming to Holyoke, the athletes stay at people’s homes who are interested in hosting these athletes. The goal here is to provide visitors with a feeling of warmth and family. Not everyone knows people in Holyoke and while there are athletes that are willing to sacrifice family and social life for a summer training in professional sports, but why make that sacrifice if you don’t have to? Thanks to the openness and generosity, there are families that house the athletes. The athletes don’t have to scope out these families themselves; Blue Sox takes care of this for them.

Host families are integral to the success of The Holyoke Blue Sox. Staying with a family allows the athletes to feel that sports are a part of their life, not their life. Doing what you love and are good at can lead to happiness, close inter-personal relationships are needed for this as well. Blue Sox is lucky to part of a community where the family the athletes say with feels like family.

If you are interested in hosting the athletes come summer time, please go to http://www.holyokesox.com/site/featured/com-post-headline/ for more details. In thanks for proving accommodations for the Blue Sox players, Blue Sox would like to show their appreciation by giving the hosting families:

• Benefit: Host Family immediate members will receive a season pass allowing them general admission access to ALL regular season games, home and away.
• Photos in-season with you player(s)
• Invitations to ALL Holyoke Blue Sox special events
• Special Discounts on summer clinics and Blue Sox merchandise
• T-Shirt for each immediate family member
• Get in return: Lots of love, smiles and great memories! (http://www.holyokesox.com/site/featured/com-post-headline/)

The Holyoke Blue Sox are also interested in looking for highly motivated individuals that have an interest in sports management and/or advertizing and marketing. The Holyoke Blue Sox are a Major League Baseball affiliated organization and is run as such. If you are interested in garnering experience in taking part in helping run a sports team, this is a perfect opportunity for you.

The volunteers with be able to interact with the players, sponsors, coaches and fans. Such duties the volunteers with perform are:

Promotions and Marketing-where you will help coordinating contests, sporting events, sponsor nights, etc.

Concessions-you will help with ordering and restocking the food concessions and merchandise.

Web site management-this involves working with a website manager on updating Blue Sox’s website.

Team maintenance-this is being on the road and packing food for the road trips, making sure the equipment is on board and safe, as well as conversing with the players and having a good time. Please go to holyokesox.com for more information.

Going to games, hosting baseball players, and volunteering with helping run a sports team is a great way to have fun, meet people, learn valuable skills, and take part in the Holyoke community by engaging with interesting people. Please visit holyokesox.com on how to become part of such an enhancing experience.