Junior Giants Program: Not Just About Baseball

Children don’t always listen when their mothers order them to clean their plates. But if the 2010 World Champion San Francisco Giants tell them the same thing, it’s a whole different ball game.

Last week, the South San Francisco Junior Giants kicked off their 2011 season, the first being offered by the Parks and Recreation Department. Formerly run by the city Boys and Girls Club, the program now encompasses 170 kids, age seven to 12, from South City and surrounding communities.

This free summer activity is not just about athletics, said program commissioner Bill Stridbeck, who is also head coach of the 10- to 12-year-old Ravens team.

"The Junior Giants is not just a baseball team, it’s an educational program where we teach values and about character development," he said. "The program is non-competitive so we don’t keep records or statistics because it’s not about winning or losing.”

The San Francisco Giants are embedded in the program from the beginning. Every child and parent receives a Buster Posey poster complete with his favorite snacks and tips for staying healthy, a DVD explaining the core values of the Junior Giants, and a Safeway coupon book so families can get some free healthy snacks like a 3-lb. bag of apples and Giants peanuts.

In addition to the Giants players’ encouraging words throughout the DVD and handbook, the Giants Community Fund is responsible for donating all uniforms and equipment to the 85 leagues in California, Oregon, and Nevada. This includes pitching machines, bases, bats, and catcher’s gear.

Each week comes with a new theme, such as violence prevention and leadership. This week's theme was education. The first 10 minutes of the Ravens’ practice were spent reading quietly on the field as part of the Round the Bases reading program. If the entire team reaches the home run level, reading 720 minutes by the beginning of August, they’ll get to go to AT&T Park for the Junior Giants Festival and play baseball on the Giants’ home field.

Alex Navarro, mother of Ashley Mozzetti, 11, brings her daughter to South City practices and games from Pacifica.

“Ashley is obsessed with the San Francisco Giants," she said. "We’ve been to four games this season and we listen to the rest on KNBR. She wants to be in the Major Leagues one day. You never know.”

Confidence is the primary dividend of the Junior Giants, she said. 

“The main thing is the confidence," she said. "A confidence booster like this at such a young age is so important. Being that it’s co-ed, she gets to be equal with the boys.”

The Nutrition Lineup magnet in the handbook has spurred her two children to compete to see who can eat the most fruits and vegetables.

Bryan Chan, 10, tried the Junior Giants program one summer when it was run by the Boys and Girls Club but his father found it lacking.

Wayne Chan was immediately impressed by slogans on the team T-shirts that spoke to the program's values.

"It’s not just about baseball, it’s about integrity and teamwork," he said.

By the end of the 2011 season in August, the South San Francisco Junior Giants will be fully versed in leadership, violence prevention, making healthy decisions, and inspiring confidence. Perhaps what the players are more excited about, however, is getting to go to AT&T Park for a Giants game if the whole team manages to accomplish their weekly goals.

The Ravens play their first game at 12 p.m. July 16 at Orange Memorial Park.