DURHAM, N.C. - USA Baseball announced the addition of two new assets to the USA Baseball Online Education Center on Monday. The additions include the Basic First Aid course and Fun At Bat Instructor, a training course for instructors implementing the Fun At Bat program.
These new assets are available at no cost to users on the USA Baseball Online Education Center. The Online Education Center includes a catalog of online courses for players, coaches, parents and umpires, hosted by some of baseball's most esteemed professionals; as well as hosting additional resources such as the Long Term Athlete Development Plan, USA Baseball Mobile Coaching App, the Sport Development blog and more. All resources are free of charge and aim to provide a positive baseball experience for all.
The Fun At Bat Instructor course, hosted by former Major League Baseball player Michael Cuddyer, aims to provide Fun At Bat instructors with the tools they need to successfully implement the program in their school or community. This course includes information on the program's environment, an overview of the program's structure and components of bat-and-ball fundamentals introduced through the Fun At Bat program.
Fun At Bat, a USA Baseball youth initiative supported by Major League Baseball, SHAPE America and Franklin Sports, is an introductory level bat-and-ball program for kids with an emphasis on character development, functional movement, literacy, active play and fun. The overarching goal of this program is to promote fun and active lifestyles for children, while teaching them the fundamental skills of bat and ball sports. The program also includes a literacy component and teaches character traits such as leadership, honesty and teamwork. Fun At Bat is a part of the PLAY BALL initiative, which is the sport's largest collective effort to encourage young people to participate in baseball- or softball-related activities, including formal leagues, special events and casual forms of play.
"The Fun At Bat program continues to be a priority initiative for USA Baseball," said Rick Riccobono, USA Baseball's Chief Development Officer. "The launch of the Fun At Bat Instructor course demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that we provide the best resources possible to create a positive experience for every child who participates in the program."
Hosted by the Team Physician of USA Baseball, Dr. Josh Bloom, the Basic First Aid course provides coaches, parents and administrators with basic information on various injuries and emergencies. This course includes information on how to be best equipped to handle injuries and emergencies, and key things to look out for when players are injured.
"We were fortunate to receive the support of Dr. Bloom and USA Baseball's Medical Safety Committee in delivering this outstanding resource for coaches and parents. The Basic First Aid course furthers our commitment to player safety and adds depth to the Online Education Center, making it an even more comprehensive resource for baseball coaches, players and parents," Riccobono continued.
The Basic First Aid and Fun At Bat Instructor courses, like the rest of the offerings on the USA Baseball Online Education Center, are equipped with a functionality that allows the user to select their preferred language (English or Spanish) upon launching the course. If the user selects Spanish as their preferred language, the course will automatically be delivered entirely in Spanish, including videos with Spanish subtitles.
The Basic First Aid and the Fun At Bat Instructor courses can be found by accessing the USA Baseball Online Education Center at USABaseball.Education.