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Sports

"Something Off" Program Connects Rhode Island Baseball + Business

"Something Off" Discount Program Aimed At Connecting Rhode Island Baseball players, leagues, and families with local RI sponsors.

One of the most uplifting experiences I have had as a baseball blogger was my Rhode Island Baseball Field Bike Relay Ride Spectacular, aka The Trek Around The State. I visited 59 baseball fields and many Rhode Island villages, towns, cities, and neighborhoods along the way. I rode past Elmwood Sports Center and Launch Trampoline Park and Wrights Dairy Farm and Kays Restaurant and so many amazing Rhode Island businesses who support youth sports like baseball. As I was riding through Rhode Island on my Trek tour, I began to ponder how I could make a difference in the Rhode Island Baseball community through this ride. One idea I came up with was getting all of the local sponsors involved in a massive directory to highlight their commitment to youth sports, like baseball. A directory of businesses that you could visit, shop, and/or hire for your family’s needs, your baseball player’s needs, or your league’s needs. With the increased popularity of travel teams, friendship tournaments happening all over the state, and the amount of time families spend in other towns/cities for sports travel I felt that a comprehensive directory of shared services and available group discounts is a great way to connect our Rhode Island baseball families.

Starting in January, 2020 a new section from the Rhode Island Baseball Experience as well as a group page on Facebook ("Something Off") will be dedicated to providing Rhode Island baseball players, coaches, leagues, families, and volunteers with a comprehensive list of Rhode Island businesses willing to take “something off” the price of an item or a service. The section and the program will be called simply “Something Off.” In baseball terms, when a pitcher is struggling to throw strikes in a game, a coach may yell out “Hey, let’s take ‘something off’ to get a strike.” I wanted to use a baseball slang in the program and this seemed to be more fitting than other synonyms of the word “discount.” The online discount or coupon system has had tremendous success over the years through sites like Groupon, LivingSocial, and more. “Something Off” will be an discount program for businesses to connect with Rhode Island Baseball families and a means for Rhode Island families to receive discounts off items and services from Rhode Island based businesses and organizations who support youth sports, like baseball.

Here are just some examples of what “Something Off” will look like. A local indoor baseball facility that will take 10% off an hour rental. A Rhode Island based sporting goods store that will discount $15 off a bucket of practice baseballs. A loyal sponsor of youth baseball who will honor a group rate on an item or service. That is what “Something Off” represents. Working together as a Rhode Island baseball community to help each other out. So, if you are from Cranston and are playing an AAU game in Bristol, you can check out a sponsor of “Something Off” and get a discount. If you are playing in a Friendship tournament in Warwick, and your league is from Smithfield, you can check out a local restaurant that will take “Something Off” because they are a strong supporter of youth baseball here in Rhode Island. Extending a warm handshake from town to town, league to league, community to community – that is the goal of “Something Off.”

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If you are a business willing to participate in “Something Off,” please message me directly at ribaseballexperience@gmail.com for more information. And stay tuned for more updates and businesses to be added to the new “Something Off” directory page starting in January, 2020.

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