Teams 
2010 RBI Institute
March 18-21 Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) held its bi-annual training seminar called "RBI Institute" to kick off the 2010 season of the RBI program. The 3-day colloquium, which was hosted by the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg, FL, instructs RBI & Jr. RBI league administrators and coaches on topics such as league operations, educational programs, best practices, and manager/coach training. Over 150 coaches and administrators came to the Tampa Bay area to meet and mingle with their peers and those responsible for operating RBI. There were people from 94 programs all over the country and world, including the Dominican Republic, United Kingdom and Japan.
Speakers and moderators for the various break-out sessions included staff members from Major League Baseball and its RBI program, KPMG, Boys & Girls Club of America, and other RBI and MLB partners who have an interest in promoting baseball & softball participation for underserved children. Weekend activities included a trip to Tropicana Field, the home of the Tampa Bay Rays, for a welcome reception on Thursday, presentations on education and best practices on Friday, and a clinic for coaches, a presentation on youth drug prevention, and focus groups on Saturday. All participants also took a trip to Clearwater, FL on Friday to see the Baltimore Orioles take on the Philadelphia Phillies in Spring Training action at Bright House Field.
RBI is a youth outreach program designed to increase participation and interest in baseball and softball, to encourage academic participation and achievement and teach the value of teamwork. It also strives to increase the number of athletes prepared to play in college and the minor leagues, and promotes greater inclusion of minorities into the mainstream of the game. The RBI concept was developed in 1989 and MLB assumed administration in 1991. The Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the official charity of MLB, assists with the formation of RBI leagues and programs. To date, RBI programs have been started in more than 200 cities worldwide and annually have provided as many as 120,000 boys and girls the opportunity to play baseball and softball.
Community