Story donates to help youth athletes

For the last couple seasons, Rockies shortstop Trevor Story has vowed to be a champion of fairness for society. He figures baseball, with its platform, is his best vehicle for doing so.

Story teamed with Blue Jays star outfielder George Springer to donate $150,000 to the Perfect Game Cares Foundation, which will match that donation to create scholarships and services that will combat systemic barriers that many Black youth athletes and underprivileged youths face in pursuing baseball. The donation was announced Wednesday.

The $300,000 is geared toward providing financial assistance so that more athletes of color and underprivileged youths in general can attend high-profile amateur tournaments. Perfect Game hosts these events, which provide experience to players and exposure to pro scouts and collegiate coaches.

“This sport has provided so much for me -- for the both of us,” said Story, who knew of Springer previously and became closer acquainted through their agency, Excel Sports. “Speaking for myself, this is one of my biggest passions in life. If there is a way for me to reach people, or help somebody do better through the game of baseball, I truly think that it’s a duty of mine to pursue that. It’s very close to my heart. I want to act on that. I don’t want to look back and be like, ‘Man, I wish I could have reached out more.’”

The Perfect Game Cares Foundation is an extension of Perfect Game and is committed to helping children living in America’s underserved areas and help grow the sport of baseball from the grassroots level all the way through the high school, collegiate and professional ranks.

Story grew up in Irving, Texas, and attended diverse schools. Parts of the Dallas area’s baseball scene are more diverse than others, but Story said he saw some standout athletes gravitate away from baseball because of rising costs.

“Baseball is such a great game that we want all the best players to play,” Story said. “Sometimes, you have unfortunate situations, whether it’s kids that are not able to play even though they have the passion and they love to play. So, it’s an amazing way for us to grow the game. What it comes down to is the love for the game. It’s a pretty sweet opportunity, I think.”