PORT DE PLAISAINCE—The St. Maarten Baseball Academy was celebrated with a launching ceremony attended by Minister of Sport, Silveria Jacobs at La Terasse, Princess Port de Plaisance Resort Friday.
The ceremony was opened by Carlos van Heyningen, president of the St. Maarten Baseball Federation, who gave a brief overview of how the federation came about to start the Academy.
He was followed by a presentation by the director of the Academy, Coach Tony Rombley, alongside Agnes De Polo, and Rick Midanik, who entertained and informed the invited guest, parents, and players, of the objectives and goals of the academy. De Polo also told the gathering that in the event help is needed with schoolwork, the academy is also there to assist with education as well.
Coach Rombley explained the Academy is open to players age 6 to18. However, he sees the academy filling a gap particularly for the 16 to 18 group, as both Little League and Pony League stop at 16.
“I am happy to see that athletes from both the Pony & Little Leagues are coming together. I think Sint Maarten is too small to be living in separate lines, so the more they mix, the more we get to see the real best of the best on the island,” the minister said.
The Minister reiterated to the players to always remain focused on their education, jokingly adding, “You don’t only need to know how to count the money, but to read the contracts to make sure your lawyers aren’t making more money than you.”
