PHOENIX – It takes a village and a community to foster the next generation. Students’ involvement in properly equipped extracurricular activities can prove to be crucial to student behavior, grades, social relationships and most importantly, graduation. Support My Club and the Oakland Athletics have partnered in support of East Valley high school baseball athletes and their futures.  

"There are four main reasons that student engagement is so critical: it gives students a sense of belonging and school pride, it helps them connect with trusted adults, it increases their self-esteem, and most importantly, it keeps them busy, involved and in school. SMC is here to ensure that no student is excluded from that opportunity due to lack of equipment or resources" said Amy Armstrong, Founder of Support My Club.

The Oakland A's host spring training at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, Arizona providing one of the best spring training experiences in the Cactus League. During spring training, the A’s work with the Mesa Hohokams to operate a charitable 50/50 raffle at every home game. After the season has concluded, all proceeds are then distributed to several local charities and youth sports around the valley.

With an “All Hands On Deck” approach to community philanthropy, Support My Club and the Oakland A’s hand-delivered their first fulfillment of new baseball equipment to Combs High School in San Tan Valley. Student athletes had the opportunity to interact with Oakland pitchers, take photos and ask questions about their path to the big leagues. The high school team was equipped with buckets of balls, new baseball pants, and rubber pitcher anchors on their first day of practice.

“Having the opportunity to extend our community reach from Oakland to our spring training home in Mesa has been such a great experience. We are proud to partner with Support My Club and look forward to continue our support of local baseball teams.” said Sydney Sprenger, Oakland Athletics Activation & Community Manager.

About Support My Club

Support My Club is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting students on their path to graduation by engaging communities to fulfill the needs of high school school clubs and teams. Through their e-commerce solution, donors fund needed items and Support My Club equips students to pursue their interests and reduce out of pocket costs and time spent on fundraising. The organization is based in Phoenix, Arizona, and supports hundreds of clubs in all focus areas across the state. To learn more, please visit https://www.supportmyclub.org.

A’s Spring Training History

This year marks the A’s 51st Spring Training in Arizona, their fifth during their second stint in Mesa following 33 consecutive years in Phoenix. The A’s Spring Training home at Hohokam Stadium—along with the Lew Wolff Training Complex—underwent a $26.9M renovation prior to the A’s return in 2015. Hohokam Stadium now seats 10,000 fans, including approximately 7,500 seats and space for approximately 2,500 additional fans to sit on the grass berms surrounding the outfield. In March of 2013, the A’s and the City of Mesa reached a 20-year agreement for the team to return to Mesa beginning in 2015.

https://www.athletics.com/spring