Introducing baseball
around the world
one village at a time
Children are playing baseball at the base
of a volcano in the heart of the jungle. In the village of Bongo, in Chiriqui, Panama, boys and
girls ages 6 to 12 are swinging for the fences,
rounding the bases and falling in love with
America's pastime, thanks in large part to a relatively new outfit called More Than a Game.
"The hunger to play baseball is there, but
there is nowhere to play in locations like
Bongo," says Tim Fanning. "It's not an uncommon situation. The children want to play and
learn the game, but they have no field, no
equipment and no idea how to play."
Fanning is the head baseball coach at Glenwood High School in Phenix City, AL. He is
www.stma.org
also the co-founder of More Than a Game.
Established in 2010, Fanning and co-founder
Marshall Murray formed the organization to
serve communities using the vehicle they
knew best: baseball. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit
organization seeks to teach baseball to the
next generation.
Not long after its formation, More Than
a Game divided its efforts into two fronts.
Murray's focus is local, planning youth baseball clinics and other community projects.
Fanning's focus is global, aiming to bring
baseball to those who haven't had the opportunity to play.
Continued on page 49
January 2014 | SportsTurf
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