Junior Giants
This project's parent organization is San Francisco Giants
It operates in United States
It uses Baseball
Entered the Sport Team of the Year
More about Junior Giants
Oakland, Stockton, Richmond, Hunters Point: Northern California residents know these communities as some of the toughest in all of California; they are also home to Junior Giants. Conversely, most Californians have never heard of Willits, Covelo or Plumas Lake, but Junior Giants thrives here as well. From inner cities to tiny towns across three states, Junior Giants seeks to improve individuals and their communities in areas where baseball is either unaffordable or simply unavailable.
The benefits of playing youth sports cannot be underestimated. However, since 2008, participation in baseball among 6-12 year olds has decreased 14%. Shockingly, nearly 38% of children ages 5-17 in the United States are obese-- the highest among 15 of our peer countries.
However, Junior Giants seeks to do more than simply encourage kids to throw a ball and run the bases. Our focus on health, education and bullying prevention is equally important. Low-income students are six times more likely to drop out of high school. One in five U.S. children is obese by their fifth birthday. One in three students report being bullied during the school year.