Baseball Beyond Borders (BBB) bonds American and Cuban youth through baseball by organizing trips for American 13-14-year-old baseball teams in the spring and high school teams in the winter & summer. Players and their families travel to Havana, Cuba for this baseball competition and cultural exchange.
Founder, Michel Rodriguez conceived the idea in 2016 to bridge the American and Cuban cultures. Michel is a Cuban national who played professionally in Cuba and came to the U.S. after his career ended. He founded the program to unify and solidify bonds of friendship between Cuba and the United States. Michel wants to offer baseball youth a fun space to challenge prevailing ideologies and make the world a better place. Since 2016 Baseball Beyond Borders has brought more than 1,000 American citizens to Cuba.
Baseball Beyond Borders offers ballplayers and their families an immersive baseball and cultural experience. Arriving at Jose Marti International Airport in Havana is in many ways like going back in time, to a place where institutions and way of life differ from what we know in America. The warm tropical breezes, the lush foliage, and the spirit of the Cuban people welcome you. Community in Cuba is paramount – restaurants are run from family homes, and entertainment often combines visual arts, music, and dancing – with people living life outside their homes, on bustling streets that are alive with movement and sound. In seeing this, players experience other ways to engage with their team, family, and broader communities.
Experiencing baseball in Cuba is one of the main focuses of the trip. Players train with Cuban coaches and learn the “Cuban way” to approach their on-field development. They play against experienced and talented Cuban players and have the opportunity to engage with them through trainings. Though not everyone speaks the same language, baseball is truly an international language that connects players from both countries. Players come back to America with new skills and a different mindset towards baseball and the discipline required to be the best. Many program participants have gone on to play high-level high school and college baseball.