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Turn Two for Youth Brings Baseball to Underserved Children

By Front Office Sports, 08/19/19, 11:45PM PDT

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In the three years since, Turn Two for Youth has sent nearly 55 tons of baseball gear to youth teams and leagues in developing countries, as well as in underserved areas of the United States.

Eric Smith and Billy Owens raised their families on baseball. The two close friends regularly coached youth teams in the Charlotte area, and both saw their own children develop into strong players over the years. The two would also take their families on vacation together. 

During one trip to Turks and Caicos, the pair befriended a local baseball coach who did not have enough gloves for a full team. When Smith and Owens returned to the United States, they rallied the Charlotte baseball community to donate any gear they could spare. Soon, Smith and Owens sent a seaboard container filled with over 2,500 pounds of gear back to the country. Smith and Owens also personally returned to Turks and Caicos and coached within seven different ministries in the country to make sure that the gear was delivered to children that needed it. Soon the organization collaborated with Varsity Partners to establish branding, positioning, and the now beloved identity – Turn Two for Youth was created.

The two businessmen and their families began delivering similar amounts of gear to more countries throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. Turn Two for Youth became the official charity of the American Baseball Coaches Association – which is comprised of more than 10,000 coaches – in 2016. In the three years since, the organization has sent nearly 55 tons of baseball gear to youth teams and leagues in developing countries, as well as in underserved areas of the United States. Turn Two for Youth recently made a large donation to the Los Angeles Police Department, who used the gear to put on clinics for nearly 3,000 local players.