Jamie Schwanebeck loves baseball. So much so, the 16-year-old catcher who’s trying out for Port Coquitlam’s AA midget team hopes to parlay his passion into a scholarship so he can study to become a lawyer.
But without the help of KidSport Tri-Cities, Schwanebeck might never have conceived of such a dream, says his mom, Kristie Dana.
Saturday, KidSport Tri-Cities is holding its spring used sporting goods sale to raise money that goes to subsidize registration fees for families that can use the help.
Since Schwanebeck discovered baseball when he was seven years old, the sport has been a stabilizing force in a sometimes difficult upbringing without a father, said Dana, who juggled as many as eight jobs to make ends meet for her family of five, which included two older siblings and a younger half-brother.
“When you have a single mom, kids are at risk for getting into trouble if they don’t have something they’re passionate about,” Dana said. “Being part of a team was huge for him.”
It was also a strain on the family’s finances.
But the support of KidSport Tri-Cities, which covered Schwanebeck’s registration fees every year since he started playing baseball, kept him in the game.
Dana said besides giving Schwanebeck a community and support network all his own, baseball has taught her son important life skills about hard work and responsibility, something that’s not always easy for a single parent already holding down multiple jobs to cover the cost of rent and food.
“In baseball, you are responsible for your position, so you get that responsibility factor, but you also have to work together with your team,” Dana said.
The sport has forged a connection between Schwanebeck and his four-year-old half-brother, who’s already champing at the bit to start playing blast ball, Dana said.
“He takes his younger brother to play catch with him,” she said. “It’s solidified their bond.”
As Schwanebeck has risen through baseball’s competitive tiers, he has also become more aware of the opportunities the game could provide. HIs schoolwork has improved because he knows there’s more at stake than just catching the next pitch, Dana said.
“It’s those discipline things they learn that then transfer into their academic life,” she said. “He knows he needed to keep his grades up if he wanted to stay in ball.”
And with the end of his high school years in sight, Schwanebeck is doubling down on what baseball could mean to him. The money his mom saves on registration fees can go towards specialized coaching from the Bullpen Baseball School, all with an eye towards playing his way towards university and, eventually, law school.
“There’s no way I could do that,” Dana said. “It will definitely help with his professional career goals.”
• KidSport used sporting goods sale is Saturday, March 10, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Riverside secondary school (2215 Reeve St., Port Coquitlam). The sale offers a variety of quality equipment from every sport from bikes to hockey gear, fitness equipment and even wetsuits. You can also help out by donating used equipment until March 9 at the Port Moody and Port Coquitlam rec centres, Coquitlam's Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex and Riverside secondary. A garage sale at Gleneagle secondary school on April 14, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. will also raise money for KidSport.
