Na7ive Na7ions tournament brings Indigenous youth baseball players together
National competition in Arizona combines baseball, culture and wellness while offering Native youth a path to the Babe Ruth World Series
Indigenous youth baseball players from across the Southwest and other regions gathered at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, Ariz., for the four-day Na7ive Na7ions 16U National Baseball Tournament, according to Native News Online. Eleven teams are competing for a national title and a berth in the Babe Ruth World Series. The event also brings together families, tribal leaders, Native-owned businesses, artists and community organizations.
DJ Carrasco, founder and executive director of Na7ive Na7ions and a former Major League Baseball pitcher, said the tournament is about "representation, visibility, culture and creating opportunities that many Native youth have not had access to before." The organization also incorporates wellness and leadership development through its HomePlate initiative, and works to remove barriers for athletes from tribal and rural communities, according to Native News Online.
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