Plymouth South baseball to compete at Jackie Robinson Training Complex
PLYMOUTH, Mass. — The Plymouth South High School varsity baseball team will visit Historic Dodgertown during April vacation.聽 The facility is also known as the Jackie Robinson Training Complex and is located in Vero Beach, Florida. The purpose of the trip is to compete against other high schools from across the nation, but the trip is about more than just playing baseball in the Florida sun.
“This experience will provide the students with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that will serve as a memorable highlight of their high school experience and lives,” said Walt Fust, varsity baseball coach at South High.聽 “The trip will provide our students with an experience that goes beyond simply playing baseball.聽 It will also provide a worthwhile educational experience for the student-athletes. Due to the color barrier that existed in the South in 1948, Dodgertown was built so that Jackie Robinson could train and play for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Our players will have the opportunity to play on the same fields as not only Jackie Robinson but also Pee Wee Reese and other baseball legends.鈥�
The trip will give players and coaches an opportunity to immerse themselves in baseball history and learn about the societal conflicts that baseball often found itself at the center of.聽 Players will also participate in Jackie Robinson Day which celebrates the day when baseball鈥檚 color barrier was broken.
鈥淭he student-athletes will be able to draw several parallels to what they are studying in their U.S. History classes and their Sports and American Society class,鈥� said Walt who is also South鈥檚 Social Studies department head.
Students will fundraise to offset the cost of the trip.
鈥淣o member of the varsity baseball program will be denied the opportunity to participate in this team event due to financial hardship. Fundraising measures are being taken now to ensure that the trip is affordable and that any student experiencing financial hardship will be accommodated,鈥� said Walt.
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