DRSEA: Making a Difference in the Dominican Republic

By Charles S. Farrell
Updated: April 1, 2012

DRSEA and FIU College of Law Sports & Entertainment Law Society (SELS) Present Special Screening of “El Play” Documentary on Dominican Baseball

Florida International University College of Law
April 19, 2012
3 pm

The Dominican Republic Sports & Education Academy (DRSEA) will present a special screening of “El Play,” a documentary on Dominican baseball on April 19 at the Florida International University College of Law, 11200 S.W. 8th Street, Miami, Florida. The screening, followed by an expert panel discussion on Dominican baseball and a VIP reception, is part of a fundraiser for the DRSEA, whose mission is to educate young and gifted student athletes in the Dominican Republic, help develop their baseball skills, and give them the tools for success in life on and off the field. Among the panel experts is sports writer Frances Robles with the Miami Herald. Co-hosting the event are the FIU College of Law Sports & Entertainment Law Society (SELS) and the Juan Pablo Duarte Foundation.

“El Play” is produced, directed and written by Pablo A. Medina, an assistant professor at Parsons, the New School for Design in New York. The film’s main character is Jairo Candelario, a young aspiring baseball player from the town of San Pedro de Macoris, a small city in the Dominican Republic famous for producing some of the best players in the majors, including New York Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano. The film follows Jairo’s dream of signing a professional contract and includes conversations with his family, interviews with professional scouts, coaches and a baseball historian.

The DRSEA is a non-profit organization with a pending 501(c)(3) application. All of the proceeds from this event will be used toward the organization’s mission of building a state of the arts sports and education complex in the Dominican Republic. Through a rigorous educational component, the DRSEA will prepare Dominican teenagers at this facility to have the opportunity for scholarships at U.S. colleges and universities. We invite you to learn more about the DRSEA at our website, www.drsea.org.

Currently, there are about 3,500 young Dominicans in baseball camps throughout the country. Half of Minor League Baseball is Latino, the bulk of them Dominicans. Ninety-eight percent will fail to have professional baseball careers. Most are uneducated or undereducated, without even a high school diploma in a country where there is a strong need for a skilled and educated workforce. Most drop out of school after the 5th grade! The Academy will not guarantee anyone a professional career, but will hopefully put them in a position where options are available. In the event that a graduate is unable to secure a career as a professional athlete, the Academy and/or a college education will give them the educational tools to pursue other careers, many of which could have explicit impact on the future of the Dominican Republic as a whole.

For ticket and sponsorship information, please contact Adam Wasch at [email protected] or
call (561) 271-7868.