Hank Turner and Will Vandeford love playing baseball more than just about anything. So when the Denver, Colorado, teens heard about some local kids who weren’t able to play the game, they wanted to do something about it.

The kids were among the estimated 30,000 refugees who’ve arrived in Denver over the past few years. Most of these newcomers are from Venezuela. They’ve come to the United States seeking asylum from dangerous conditions in their home country. Among the new arrivals are many children. They and their parents often don’t speak English and are unfamiliar with the area. The kids can have a hard time getting involved with local activities like Little League. 

“When we heard about how the Venezuelan kids haven’t been able to play baseball, we realized that was something we’ve never had to think about,” Will says. “We wanted to try to help them.” 

Hank and Will decided to set up a baseball team specifically for the Venezuelan kids. Working with their church, they collected donations of equipment and money. They also spread the word on social media. Soon they had assembled a team of 15 refugee kids. The team just finished up their first season, which was a bigger success than Hank or Will could have dreamed. But, they say, the real reward has been seeing their town embrace the young players. 

Read on to learn more about how Hank and Will brought together their community through baseball. You might be inspired to share your passion with other people in your area.

Many Little League teams adopt the names of Major League teams, like the Tigers or the Royals. But the Denver kids chose a name that reflects their heritage, calling themselves Team Venezuela. 

Team Venezuela began practicing with Coach Ramos. Word soon spread about the players, who ranged in age from 4 to 8. Major League players Ezequiel Tovar, shortstop for the Colorado Rockies, and Liván Soto, shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles, visited the team. Both men are originally from Venezuela. The players signed autographs, took photos, and even shared some tips on how the kids could improve their baseball skills.

“More than 80 families came to see (Tovar and Soto),” Hank says. “For me, that was mind-blowing.” Both Hank and Will were impressed by the way the new team was embraced by the refugee families. “All of their families came together every Saturday to watch the games,” Hank says. “I think this team is giving them a sense of community.” 

One mother told Will that before Team Venezuela, her 8-year-old son had been asking to return to Venezuela so he could play baseball again. Now he’s making friends in his new hometown and has turned out to be one of the star players on the team. 

In its first season, Team Venezuela won so many games by so many runs that they had to move to a more advanced division. To top off an incredible season, Team Venezuela clinched the league championship. Hank handed out the trophies. 

The team is looking forward to a second season. Coach Ramos hopes to bring in kids from all backgrounds. But no matter what else happens, the team will be self-sufficient, meaning they’ll no longer need help from Hank, Will, and their families to manage the day-to-day operations. “Now that they’re settling in, they don’t need us anymore,” Will says.

Hank and Will, meanwhile, will continue to face each other as rivals on their separate high school teams. But they’ll always have a special place in their hearts for the young players on Team Venezuela. “It’s been very cool to see how impactful this project has been, and it came from a simple idea of bringing kids together to do what they love,” Will says.