Knothole Foundation connects kids to baseball, softball

MARK DUFFEL | UNSPLASH

The Knothole Foundation, which connects underserved communities to baseball and softball, is hosting the Westside Story high school tournaments April 14-16 and April 19.

The Knothole Foundation is reconnecting Black kids to baseball and softball.

The foundation strives to help underserved children in the west Charlotte area by not only making baseball and softball more accessible, but also education and life skills initiatives.

“The African American player is not in the game of baseball like it used to be, and it's a shame, it really is,” said Tommy Viola, the foundation’s chief communications officer. “The Knothole Foundation is working with underserved kids here in West Charlotte, and really providing them not only baseball and softball, but also providing educational programming.”

From April 14-16 and April 19, the foundation is hosting its Westside Story tournament for high school baseball and softball teams. Along with the tournament, there will also be a free baseball clinic on April 16 and a softball clinic on April 19. 

The baseball teams participating are West Mecklenburg, Rocky River, Chambers, Berry Academy, Garinger and Jackson Day. The softball teams are West Charlotte, Chambers, West Mecklenburg and Garinger. The championship games will start at 5:30 p.m. for softball and 6 p.m. for baseball. 

“You'll notice around town there's a lot of high school tournaments, probably, but there's none for the west Charlotte area high school kids — but that's what we do,” Viola said. … “We have six baseball teams, four softball teams. The baseball teams will compete in a tournament, and then their championship games will take place on Tuesday, April 15, which is Jackie Robinson Day.”

As a part of the event, the foundation will have a former Negro League baseball player throw out the first pitch at the championship games. Viola said Negro League historians will be on hand to talk about the legacy of Black baseball players and teams and their vital role in the sport’s history.

Viola, who worked with the Triple-A Charlotte Knights for 13 years before moving to the Knothole Foundation in the offseason, said youth baseball is his passion. As a result, he hopes to make it more accessible.

“What we're trying to do is just give [kids] more access to the game,” Viola said. “The game has become very expensive. That's a big part of it. To play a baseball game, you need a glove, you need a bat. You need all kinds of equipment sometimes. Now these bats are $300-$400 and gloves are also expensive.”

Baseball is a game that kids grow a passion for early. As it and softball have become less accessible, fewer kids develop that passion. The foundation is part of the change.

“I love the opportunity to see kids come out here and play the game of baseball and softball, because it starts when you're a kid,” he said. “That love of baseball, that love of softball, starts when you're a kid. It certainly did for me when I was playing Little League, and it does for these kids.”

Viola emphasized that while baseball and softball is the sport of choice, the long-term goal is to help make “major league citizens.”

“One of the things I know that a lot of our people here stress is that we're not trying to make major league baseball players,” he started, “but we're trying to make major league citizens… We know the kids that come through here are not all going to go on to play Major League Baseball. We're trying to better prepare them for their futures. It's a special place. And now that I've been here for a little while, seeing these kids come out and the smiles on their faces, it's really special.”

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