Jiangsu, China’s eastern coastal province with huge growth momentum in economy and culture, is now gradually known as a “star factory” of elite teenage baseball players.
Rick Dell (2nd from right) with young baseball players in Wuxi, Jiangsu province. [Photo/VCG]
Rick Dell from New Jersey, the United States, is among those who build the dream for the young baseball players. As Major League Baseball (MLB) Asia's general manager of baseball development, Dell has been dedicated to his dream of promoting baseball in China for eleven years.
With 27 years of coaching experience, Dell came to China in 2007 at the invitation of MLB. His first task was to develop the MLB Development Center (DC), a system that combines baseball training and academic education for student players above 12 years old.
Dongbeitang Middle School in Wuxi City attracted his interest because the school, with a long baseball tradition, has just built a new campus in 2008 and boasted well-equipped dormitories, baseball venues and training facilities that meet international standards. The two sides soon reached an agreement that led to the first MLB DC in China at the school on September 23, 2009.
MLB builds first Development Center in China at Wuxi Dongbeitang Middle School. [Photo/VCG]
“Wuxi seemed a beautiful sleeping city.” That was Dell’s first impression to Wuxi. However, the city surprised Dell and MLB with people who are open-minded and visionary, just like their partners at Dongbeitang Middle School.
MLB DC has introduced the training system of MLB and an international coaching team, allowing students to enjoy Jiangsu’s quality education resources and complete baseball training at the same time. The novel education model and rapid development have attracted more Chinese partners, with the second and third DC settled in Changzhou’s Beijiao Middle School and Nanjing’s Dongshan Foreign Language School in September 2011 and April 2014 respectively. This sound development has helped the province to form the frontline of youth baseball development.
The significance the DCs exert is far beyond its geographic local. The student players come from all over the country, including Hong Kong, Taiwan and even as far as Qinghai’s Tibetan areas.
“The student players are culturally and socially developed as different cultures and personalities blend in perfectly.” said Dell.
Jiangsu, home to all three MLB DCs, opens a gate to a bigger world and their dreams.
Rick Dell takes an interview with JiangsuNow.
Since 2015, seven student players from three MLB DCs have signed up with MLB clubs. Another seven were admitted by American universities, and more than 40 have entered into Chinese universities. In addition, many players have studied or trained in the United States, Australia and other places through a variety of exchange programs.
The DCs have also gradually become the center of Asian baseball education and attracted coaches and players from countries like Japan and South Korea, which already have mature baseball culture.
Outside the baseball field, Dell also feels the shift in Chinese society over sports from a craving for gold medals to the real enjoyment of the sports.
Today, Dell and his team are still committed to recruiting and training outstanding baseball players, just like eleven years ago. As more children took physical exercises since childhood, the team has more candidates when selecting players.
Taking advantage of the trend, MLB has developed seven Learning Centers across the country, not only providing opportunities for young children to learn about baseball but also building a reserve to sustain the development of MLB DCs in Jiangsu.
Since Dell came to China, the question he was asked most is if Chinese are suitable for baseball.
"Had I thought Chinese aren’t fit for playing baseball, I would not have given up my successful coaching career in the United States and come to China,” said Dell. This belief certainly has let him to hold fast to his dream in China.
“And we’ve proven that.”
(Source: jschina.com.cn)
