<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-16316 lazyload" src="https://www.bishopodowd.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/manca.jpg" alt="manca" width="700" height="439" srcset="https://www.bishopodowd.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/manca.jpg 700w, https://www.bishopodowd.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/manca-300x188.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" />
Recently Recognized With a Jefferson Award for Outstanding Public Service
Tyler Manca’s commitment to ensuring that middle schoolers have access to advanced baseball training hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Manca was recognized in September at an Oakland A’s game by the Jefferson Award Students in Action Committee for his community service in organizing the Greatest Game Baseball Academy (GGBA). In October, Tyler was personally honored with a Jefferson Award. The criteria for the award includes inspiration, impact, innovation, and sustainability.
<img class="size-full wp-image-16319 alignleft lazyload" src="https://www.bishopodowd.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/manca_head.jpg" alt="manca_head" width="250" height="342" srcset="https://www.bishopodowd.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/manca_head.jpg 250w, https://www.bishopodowd.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/manca_head-219x300.jpg 219w" sizes="(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px" />He decided to organize the baseball clinics after learning that only eight percent of youth baseball players continue to play the sport in high school due to inaccessibility of advanced training.
“Nothing is more important to me than teaching baseball to kids while giving back to my community. It was such an honor to be recognized with a Jefferson Award, and I am thankful for all the community support that made GGBA possible and all the kids who brought so much enthusiasm to the clinics,” Manca said.
The third annual GGBA will be held on three consecutive Sundays – January 14, 21 and 28, from 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. – at Bishop O’Dowd High School. Participants will improve their skills through drills and also participate in game scenarios. See video of last year’s camp.
Student volunteer coaches include Manca, Wyatt ’19 and Zach ’18 Thompson, Luke Ditzler ’18 and Matthias Hass ’19. Guest coaches include O’Dowd PE teacher and baseball coach Chris Kyriacou and Associate Principal Jase Turner, who played professional baseball.
The clinics are offered free of charge, thanks to the support of several Bay Area sports organizations like the Oakland A’s and San Francisco Giants, as well as local baseball programs, schools and businesses. Each participant gets a baseball cap and T-shirt, provided by West Coast Sports.
Since Manca started the clinics, more than 100 players have graduated, going on to play various levels of baseball, including high school.
Candidates are being accepted now, so please send interest or information request to hobbsgreatestgame.camp@gmail.com.