Dominican Republic: Baseball Immersion
-
Baseball is hugely popular in the Dominican Republic and has become a large part of the country’s culture. In the DR, you will find baseball fields scattered across nearly every city, farmland, and tourism center. In 2021, over 10% of Major League Baseball players were Dominican - the highest representation of any country outside of the United States. Today, all 30 Major League Baseball clubs run their own academies on the island. The Dominican Republic’s professional league features six teams, complete with a playoff series. In a country with extremely diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, baseball is seen by many as the best chance for prosperity. Students observe this especially while working with our partner. Our partner focuses on providing opportunities for kids to achieve their goals, both in the Dominican Republic and the United States, by emphasizing the importance of education, health, and athletics.
Test your fitness under the Caribbean sun through a series of finely developed and proven system of workouts known as Dominican beach cardio. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. attributes this intense agility work out to his Silver Slugger comeback year in 2021. Your time in baseball paradise would not be complete without great recovery food such as fresh fruit smoothies, and sometime to enjoy the warm Caribbean waters.
Day 1: Welcome to the Dominican Republic!
Arrive at Las Americas International Airport in Santo Domingo (SDQ) and meet your Offbeat Travel guides who will be with you for the duration of the program. Head directly to the hotel in San Pedro and settle in. Join the group for an orientation discussion about the week ahead, expectations for your adventure, and an introduction to the local culture.
Then grab a bowl of popcorn and watch a documentary about Dominican baseball and the youth that aspire to make it to the big leagues.
Overnight: Hotel, San Pedro de Macoris
Days 2-3: The Land of the Peloteros
Take a tour of San Pedro de Marcoris and the surrounding areas. San Pedro is the native land of big leaguers such as Sammy Sosa, Robinson Cano and Fernando Tatis Jr. This region is surrounded by sugar cane fields called Bateyes and is home to most of the Major League Baseball academies. These communities often lack the most basic of necessities such as running water, electricity, or access to public education. They also contain some of the lowest standards of living in the country yet often produce some of the best players in the world.
Your first two days of immersion will take the group to a vetted training facility. Train with local professional coaches you will learn why so many professionals come from the Dominican Republic. Observe and immerse yourself into the amateur training regiment carried out by the eventual pros that came out of this academy. Prospects at these academies are recruited from local communities. Only the best of the best are awarded a sponsorship and allowed to train. Trainers will tailor drills to work on your decision making, throwing mechanics, catching, grounders, agility, base running, hitting, infield, and outfield mechanics.
Experience the cross cultural gap closing when the passion and highly spirited style of play absorbs you into the Dominican baseball environment. Take notes, this concentrated highly stimulating environment should give you a new perspective and offer different angles of approach to baseball development.
Overnight: Hotel, San Pedro de Macoris
Day 4: Tour a Major League Baseball Training Facility
After breakfast, tour one of the nearby Major League Baseball training academies. All 30 major league teams have academies in the Dominican Republic, the majority of which are located near the city of San Pedro. Take a glimpse into the lives of some of these young up-and-coming peloteros (ball players) and watch a game! After the game, you will get to sit down and talk with some of the players. In the afternoon, we will watch a documentary about baseball in San Pedro de Macoris, the province that produces more Dominican Major League Baseball players than any other region in the Dominican Republic.
Days 5-6: Work on your game
Return to your training regiment. Over the next few days you will spend half the day training, running drills, and learning ways to improve your game.
In the afternoons you will have the chance to put your practice into action with scrimmage games agains local teams of your same age and skill level.
Overnight: Hotel, San Pedro de Macoris
Day 7: Beach and Explore Santo Domingo
Head back to the capital, stopping at the beach on the way. Tour the Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is home to the first university, cathedral, and hospital in the Americas. Take a tour of the walled city and learn about the deep history of the first European settlement in the Americas. Enjoy a special dinner and dance show at a typical Dominican restaurant.
At the end of each program, students reflect on their experiences and the issues they engaged with, and talk about how to apply this new understanding to their own worlds.
Overnight: Hotel, Santo Domingo
Day 8: ¡Adiós, Dominican Republic!
Say goodbye to your new friends and to the beautiful DR. Your Program Leaders will take you to the airport for your departure as you say goodbyes and reflect on your adventure.
Flight Details: Offbeat Travel can book your flights upon request
-
7 nights of accommodation
All meals all days
All transportation
Offbeat Travel full-time international and local guides
All activities as detailed in your itinerary
Single point of contact from Offbeat Travel for support leading up to the program
Offbeat Travel 24-hour emergency support throughout program
International SOS emergency evacuation insurance
All airport taxes and departure fees
All fees, community service donations, and guide tips
An Important Note About Availability and Schedule Changes:
The listed prices and program availability outlined in this itinerary are confirmed through [date one month from delivery]. After [date], we reserve the right to offer this program to a different school or other group.
Offbeat Travel reserves the right to change, alter, or amend the daily itinerary for this trip at any time. Changes can be made for various reasons including changes in flight or program schedules, changes in the schedules of various external operators or partner organizations, changes due to weather or safety concerns, the addition of new activities into a trip, or the substitution of a new activity for an old activity. The itinerary shown here provides our best projection of the daily schedule for this program. As with any travel program, some changes may occur.
-
Interested in booking or customizing this trip for your group? Click below to schedule a call.