EDP University announced the launch of Elite Baseball Development Program (EBDP) a unique proposal in Puerto Rico designed to offer baseball prospects in the areas of pitchers y catchers, high school graduates a simultaneous academic and sports space.
The project comes from the heart of a mother of a pitcher in training. Professor Enid Cartagena, VPA of Student Affairs at EDP, identifies the need to impact these eleventh grade students who for various reasons were not recruitable at universities in the United States. “As a mother and educator, I recognize the extraordinary talent of these young people, but also the academic, economic, family and emotional challenges they face when they are not recruited. At EDP University they will have structure, support, discipline and a path to grow, while they complete a university degree,” said Cartagena.
EBDP will develop and mentor young pitchers and catchers as they complete an Associate’s Degree in Physical Therapy or Health and Fitness for Special Populations. As part of the extracurricular plan they will receive specialized technical training, biomechanical development, advanced metrics, mental and clinical support – structured and validated by high-level experts.
The objective is for them to reach levels recruitable by institutions such as NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics), NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) and professionals, while Puerto Rico becomes a point of development and university sports transfer, replicating the model that has made the NJUCO (National Junior College Athletic Association) and NCAA system successful in the United States.
The meeting served to make official the Collaborative Agreement between EDP University and Best in PR Showcases. This board seeks to ensure that students under the Elite Baseball Development Program have an efficient recruiting process by connecting them with university coaches in the United States. For his part, Mr. José Omar Rosado, director of Best in PR Showcase, expressed “Puerto Rico needed a bridge like this, when they told me about the program I did not think twice. I have been waiting for a long time to see a University assume a commitment to the technical development of baseball. This is historic.” Robert Rodríguez of MB Sports, who is a key figure in international baseball and the World Baseball Classic Caribbean Series, expressed himself along the same lines, who in turn announced his collaboration with this novel project on the Island.
According to the provost, Dr. Marilyn Pastrana Muriel, “the fact that we have identified the associate degrees in Physical Therapy and Health and Physical Fitness for Special Populations was strategic and aligned with the profile of this athletic population so that they study programs based on their interests.” EDP University, with a history of 56 years of education in Puerto Rico, had sports teams in its beginnings, managing to stand out in several events of the Interuniversity League of Regional Colleges, remembered as LAICRE, its president, engineer Gladys Nieves, fondly recalled, since her father and founder of EDP, was a sports lover. “When the proposal was presented to me, I was motivated by the issue of sports, but for me it is important that there be a technical team of professional caliber, in addition to the administrative staff that will follow up to meet expectations,” said the president.
EBDP has the professional caliber technical team, which combines university, professional and clinical experience, including: José Díaz – Athletic Trainer & Strength Coach, Alex Lozada – Pitching Coach, Xavier Valentín – Catching & Hitting Coach and Lorenz Ozuna – International Consultant and former professional player for the Colorado Rockies.
People interested in the “tryouts” that will take place between February and April in San Juan, San Sebastián and Villalba can contact Alex Lozada, Promotions and Sports Liaison Coordinator at 787.396.4402 or at [email protected] KNOWING IS POWER
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