Engaged Athletics Baseball
Get to know the non-profit baseball organization in Kansas City
April 2, 2023
Engaged Athletics has been around since 2015 and started as a small baseball club and volleyball team in North Kansas City. It is a non-profit organization started by Chad and Marcy Earwood that was started to give kids an opportunity on and off the field/or court. What started as one baseball team has turned into multiple teams starting at 14U and going through 18U.
One of the things that makes Engaged Athletics unique is the five E’ that they teach their kids and run their club by.
- Evaluate Always
- Educate Yourself and Others
- Encompass the Mission
- Execute Well and Timely
- Engage Beyond Yourself
Their five E’s philosophy is something that ingrain in their kids to set them up for success. These 5 E’s are something that Blair and his employees are very passionate about. Many might ask; what does each mean? They each were thought out and created to serve a different purpose. With the staff and owner at Engaged Athletics going above and beyond to create a culture and atmosphere it really does make their program stick out amongst everyone else.
Evaluate Always-Be mindful of and evaluate your words and actions during practice, at games, and in your personal time. Be accountable for yourself and encourage others to help make you better in this process. After every play and at the end of each day, ask yourself, “What did I do well, and where can I improve both on and off the field?” Meet with your coach regularly to evaluate your progress in upholding their expectations.
Educate Yourself and Others-Be a student of the game. Push yourself to learn all that you can from your teammates and foster a mutually beneficial environment where they can learn from you. Talk with your team before each play on the field and help your teammates with techniques and situational awareness.
Encompass the Mission-Be conscious of your actions, words, and thoughts. Elevate your performance both mentally and physically, but most importantly, be a great teammate, friend and team leader while maximizing your skills on and off the field. We encourage to use words that are uplifting and constructive to those around you.
Execute Well and Timely-Your team is relying on you to execute well. There is no room for apathy, slow execution, or poor sportsmanship. Arrive early to practices and games, and hustle from drill to drill. Listen with your eyes and ears to coaches and teammates. Remember, the subtle differences make all the difference. Prepare mentally before plays and games, and focus on the details of your position.
Engage Beyond Yourself-Sports are just one small part of your life, and life is only significant when it becomes about others. Learn to sacrifice and lead with character. Help others by communicating, teaching, and encouraging them, and don’t make excuses. Set a good example by helping set up for practice and take things down when practices are finished.
Blair Johnson is the Vice President of the operations and has a passion for helping kids not just within their sport, but in life. Blair was drafted and played professionally for many years starting with the Pittsburgh Pirates. With his years of experience and knowledge the kids really get to see all aspects of the game through his eyes.
There are many behind the scenes staff that help the program run as smoothly as it does. One of those key people is Kim Chleborad. Kim Chleborad is part of the baseball operations at Engaged Athletics and has been there since the beginning. She talks about what makes Engaged Athletics so special and unique in her eyes.
“I think we are different in the aspect that we put an emphasis on the players’ development in life, not just the game of baseball.” Chleborad said. “I think other clubs really just focus on the fundamentals of baseball and at Engage Athletics we really care about the athlete as a person and we care about the development of the athlete at home, at school and around their peers.”
After working at different places over the years Kim talks about what makes the work environment so unique and fun to be a part of at Engaged Athletics.
“My favorite part about Engaged Athletics is the people that make up Engaged Athletics.” Chleborad said. “We have a really great team of staff that just really work well together and I think that’s not always super common in today’s workplace. We have a lot of fun together but we also just get things done and I think that we have very talented people at Engaged that have so many strengths. We all bring something to the table which I really love and appreciate.”
Marcy Earwood is a communications director at Engaged Athletics and has also been there since the start of the program. She specializes in a lot of the behind the scenes work with Kim. They work on a lot of the social media as well as parent to staff communication. Her role also includes finding a lot of the baseball tournaments and putting on events for the non-profit baseball club to raise money for the program.
“As a communications director you wear a lot of different hats.” Earwood said. “You have to be flexible. It’s definitely not a nine to five type of job; it’s weekends, nights and early mornings. It’s fun to get to work with the coaches because they are ex-athletes so they have a great mentality. It’s also good to get to know the boys and families.”
Jack Tritz and Ty Earwood have been at Engaged since the beginning. Jack switched clubs early on and joined Engaged Athletics and took a leap of faith.
“It’s crazy to think that I’ve been here for so long, but I have met some of my closests friends here.” Said Tritz. “The coaches really care about you a lot and always make sure you’re working hard at practice and at home.”
Ty has seen the behind the scenes process from the start and has overall valued the fun and competitive enviroment that it has turned into.
“We just have a lot of fun here while working hard and winning.” Ty said. “Watching the program change over the years has been crazy, but exciting at the same time.”
One of the main events that Engaged Athletics hosts each year is the Golf Classic. It’s a pretty big event to help gain sponsors and raise money for the program. There are lots of little prizes and raffles that happen as well as healthy competition. 100% of the money raised goes towards athlete scholarships. These types of events are really important to not only support the community, but to contribute in a positive way to impact these kids.
Overall, Engaged Athletics might not be the club or program that’s been around the longest, but they are making a big impact in the community and are starting to build a positive reputation. People now know Engaged Athletics and what they stand for.
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Want to train like an Engaged Athletics baseball player? Check out some sample exercieses that are specific to enhancing your baseball skills!
