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Chicago’s Jackie Robinson West creating LLWS buzz

By WTOP Staff

FRED GOODALL
AP Sports Writer

Win or lose, youngsters from Chicago will leave a lasting impression on the Little League World Series.

The Jackie Robinson West team is comprised of all African-American players. On Thursday, their league will make its first appearance in 31 years in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania — the latest indicator that baseball is making small strides in an effort to lure young African-Americans back to the game.

The number of African-Americans in the major leagues has dwindled steadily since the mid-1980s, when they comprised about 19 percent of rosters; the number stood at 8.1 percent on opening day this year.

Jackie Robinson West, representing the Great Lakes, got off to a good start. It beat Northwest champion Lynnwood Pacific 12-2 in its first game Thursday.

Still, No one is ready to proclaim the sport is back in talent-rich inner city neighborhoods because of Jackie Robinson West’s success. However, programs such as the Little League Urban Initiative, Major League Baseball’s RBI (Reviving Baseball In Inner Cities) and Urban Youth Academy clearly are making a difference.

David James, senior director of MLB’s RBI program is familiar with the team’s history and is delighted to see it back on Little League’s biggest stage.

“All of us at MLB is talking about that team,” said James, a native of Williamsport and a former head of the Little League Urban Initiative. “It’s really good for the game.”

The RBI program has grown over the years and now has a presence in 200 cities with about 230,000 participants.

Jackie Robinson West, which bears the name of the first black player in the major leagues, has a storied history. Joseph Haley founded the league that’s grown to include 28 teams. Haley’s son, Bill, runs the program and it is one of the Urban Initiative success stories.

It’s the first all-black team from Chicago to reach the World Series since 1983 and the first Urban Initiative affiliate to earn a berth since Harlem in 2002.

While the Urban Initiative helps provide resources essential to running successful leagues, its director — Demiko Ervin — is reluctant to take credit for Jackie Robinson West’s success, noting that the program has been around since 1971.

“Everybody wants to talk about the Urban Initiative League and how we’ve helped” Jackie Robinson West,” Ervin said. “They’ve benefited from the program, but I’ve got to give so much credit to the folks in that league and folks in that community.

“It doesn’t work if you don’t have the coaches and the volunteers that come out, support them and do the things that it takes to run a league,” Ervin added. “They’re one of the better Urban Initiative Leagues in the country.”

The players’ parents got an assist from some major leaguers.

Atlanta Braves outfielders Justin and B.J. Upton were among those contacted by Colorado Rockies pitcher LaTroy Hawkins about chipping in to pay the travel costs to Pennsylvania.

“I know when I was a kid, I wanted my family to be there to support me and see me play,” Justin Upton said. “I thought it would be cool for them to see the experience with the kids.

“It’s good to see young African-American kids playing and having a team full of young kids enjoying the game. Hopefully, it can be something that makes them think ‘I’d like to play on that stage, so maybe I should pursue baseball.'”

Detroit’s Torii Hunter said he got texts about helping out from Hawkins, and former major leaguers Jacque Jones and Junior Spivey, “all the boys I kind of grew up in this game with.”

“It’s inner city, so it’s what I love to do, give those guys the life experiences more than anything,” Hunter said. “Their families, the kids, get a chance to travel and go somewhere and see something different. I think if you give more inner-city kids those life experiences, it changes everything.”

Jackie Robinson West is one of nearly 200 Urban Initiative Leagues in about 100 cities across the country, although no records are available on how many young African-Americans are involved because most registration forms don’t request information on nationality or race.

“We don’t keep those kinds of statistics,” Ervin said.

“A lot of people think it has to do with leagues having a predominate number of African-Americans, and that’s not it. It’s more of a need-based program,” Ervin added. “We want to make sure all of our leagues, all communities, all neighborhoods, from the affluent to the disadvantaged have the opportunity to play Little League. That’s what it about.”

___

AP Sports Writers Noah Trister in Detroit and Charles Odum in Atlanta contributed to this report.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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