BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Educating the youth about other sports other than basketball & football, is the goal of the academy. Showing the members of the community that you can reach higher education for other sports.

• Multiple sports will be available like; soccer, roller hockey, lacrosse, & gymnastics.
• The program is planned to start in Spring of 2025.
• Organizers say this program will bring jobs to the community.

BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:

Bakersfield Recreation and Park Department received a $150,000 grant, to bring a sports and education academy to the community of southeast Bakersfield. I’m Eric J. Dockery your Bakersfield neighborhood reporter. This program will provide multiple sports for young athletes to participate in. Keeping them active and off the streets.

The program is in the works, and they plan to bring it to the community by the Spring of 2025. The city wants to provide different type of sports to the neighborhood kids, besides basketball and football. Showing them that they can make it out of the city through other sports.

Keith Powell Supervisor II City of Bakersfield Recreation and Parks said “What we proposed was a sports and education academy. Something that we could come out and provide for the kids. A lot of kids in this area feel their going to get out this area by doing sports and everything. So we figure if we can kind of combine those academics and sports together we can give them a leg up.”

Keith tells me the academy will be available for students from the ages of 6-14. Their goal is to get the students acclimated with the sport and aim for them to get scholarships moving forward.

I asked Sapphire Caro 4th Grader, What sports are you looking forward too?
“Soccer, Tennis, Baseball, Roller Hockey, and Gymnastics.”

Why Gymnastics?
“I was born to do it” said Caro

The program is planned to instill the importance of education, proper nutrition, physical fitness and mental health.

Powell said “Hopefully getting the kids to understand, that one of the tenants to being a athlete is called a student athlete. That’s what we really want to push is that academic side, to get them more academically prepared. Hopefully be able to be able to not only see that with this program it’s not only about being an athlete. But there are other opportunities if you aren’t that athlete, you can become a trainer or a sportswriter.”

This program is planned to start in Spring of 2025. According to the city it will bring more jobs to the community. For 23 ABC I’m Eric J. Dockery your Bakersfield neighborhood reporter.

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