Dodger Days come to Compton

The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF) hosted the first of seven Dodger Days, presented by ARCO, on Saturday, April 20, at the Dodger Dreamfields complex in Gonzales Park in Compton.

As a part of LADF’s continued commitment to sports-based youth development, the 11th season of the Dodgers Dreamteam program, an affiliate of Nike RBI, will serve 13,000 youth in partnership with 16 affiliate partners across 99 locations, an increase of 18% over 2023.

Dodger Days are community resource events that bring together program partners so that Dodgers Dreamteam players and their families can receive access to health screenings, education programs, and basic essentials.

This season’s resources distributed at Dodger Days include food boxes provided by LA Regional Food Bank, baseball and softball instruction via Dodgers Training Academy, UCLA Health screenings, eye exams from Vision to Learn, books as a part of LA Reads, transportation resources, including free and discounted fares from LA Metro, STEM activities from LADF’s Science of Baseball curriculum and more.

To serve more Los Angeles youth, LADF is expanding its affiliate partners for Dodgers Dreamteam, including the addition of the City of Bell and Woodcraft Rangers in Monterey Park, Rosemead and San Gabriel.

These expanded partnerships align with LADF’s new Strategic Plan: Lasting Impact for Los Angeles, which builds upon its successes by amplifying best practices, scaling solutions to reach more Angelenos, growing its capacity, and refining its work to create a lasting impact for Los Angeles.

“In our 11th year of Dodgers Dreamteam we continue to grow and provide exceptional programs that communities deserve,” said Nichol Whiteman, CEO of the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation. “With a goal to serve 25,000 youth annually by 2030, we are ensuring more youth can play ball and have access to vital resources and the basic necessities they need the most.”

Dodgers Dreamteam is a comprehensive sports-based youth development program that uses the power of sport to provide critical resources and services to communities experiencing social injustices.

The program aims to provide an inclusive, barrier-free youth development program for underserved communities that otherwise may not participate and train parents and coaches to create a social and emotional learning environment. All participants receive free uniforms and access to baseball and softball equipment.

Stemming from the 2022 All-Star legacy funds, LADF continues its significant coach investment, aiming to train 1,500 coaches by the end of 2025.

LADF will host 13 coaches trainings in partnership with Nike and four leading organizations: Center for Healing and Justice Through Sport, Positive Coaching Alliance, Dodgers Training Academy, and Beyond Sport. New for coaches this year is the incorporation of the Dodgers Dreamteam Coaches Playbook – Living Jackie’s Nine, in partnership with Nike, rooted in the nine heartfelt, hard-won values that helped baseball legend and civil rights hero Jackie Robinson achieve his goals.