Going to Bat for MIA Baseball

Coming on the heels of the school’s first winning season, coach Lazaro Ferro, team parents and even former team parents are coming together to raise $20,000 to improve the team’s baseball field and to send the team to Miami to play a game at Marlins stadium against an East Coast opponent.

"It’s really about the field,” said Kristin Dowd, a former team parent. "That’s a huge cost to upkeep a field. We started hearing that the coach was paying for a lot of the repairs out of his own pocket. He was doing it on his own. But there comes a point where there’s so much to be done. He shouldn’t be expected to do that.”

“I do a lot of maintenance on the field,” Lazaro Ferro agrees, "because I’m familiar with it. I had a job in Parks and Rec in Miami before I went into law enforcement. So I know how to maintain the field. But we still need some stuff to be done there and we need equipment. We need the paint, we need some clay, the chalk for the field. We need a little operating budget. We created a GoFundMe account. We’re reaching out to local businesses. I’m hoping that since the school’s a 501c3, some businesses will use it as a donation to the school."

Dowd and her husband David have stepped up with a $5,500 matching fund.

Team mom Carrie Berry started the GoFundMe account titled Marco Island Baseball Team. As of Saturday night, February 11, the fund total rests at $3,325.

“We didn’t want it to be a fundraiser just for the game,” Dowd said. "We want it to be a campaign. How do we make MIA baseball something people want to support? That’s why we’re kicking off this campaign."

"Coach Laz reached out to us,” David Dowd said. “Laz said, ‘We’re going to be playing this game in Miami. I want Trent to come and throw the first pitch. I just want our players to see that we don’t forget our players when they move on from the team.' I think that kind of speaks to the team culture they’ve built here."

The Dowds became involved because they believe in coach Laz and MIA as a school. Ironically, their son Trent was not a student at MIA. As a virtual student, Trent was allowed to participate in sports at MIA.

"Trent was not a student at the school,” Kristin Dowd said. "The kids embraced him. Brought him in. It’s just that spirit. He was a virtual student. He didn’t know any of these kids. They took him in and it was like he was part of the school.  He won a pitching award as the winningest pitcher. That meant a lot to him. We want to support the team and the school. We think they’re doing the right thing for the kids and for the community.”

Kristin Dowd would like to see the community become more involved in supporting high school sports.

“We’re hoping they’ll cheer on the kids through the season,” Dowd said. "Come to games. Get a sense of the kids. Get a sense of the families. And donate. Donate to a good cause. These are pivotal years for the kids to grow into great people. The community and this program is more than just baseball - it’s developing good people. People that are going to be career ready, people that are going to be college ready. People who are going to be able to support the community long term. They’re building life skills. These kids are out there and they’re expected to represent their school and team with a lot of pride. They’re also out there trying to raise funds. If you have an ability to donate, make the donation because these kids will not let you down."