MoCo RBI
We measure our success based on the opportunities that
we're able to provide both on and off-the-field.
Click here to register
Montgomery County (MoCo) Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI)
Online registration is now available for MoCo RBI.
Click the above link to register your scholar-athlete for our program.
Registration is FREE for residents of Montgomery County, Maryland.
MoCo RBI is a certified Montgomery County affiliate of the Major League Baseball (MLB®)
Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program. We advance the mission of MLB® youth initiatives by enhancing the fundamental baseball skills of scholar-athletes that dream of someday playing
the sport competitively beyond high school. At the grassroots level, MoCo RBI serves to provide
elite-level prospects with a direct pipeline to MLB® teams, pro scouts, and college recruiters.
The MLB® RBI program is a youth development initiative with more than 300 chartered members
operating out of 200 cities and diverse urban communities nationwide. Our collective mission is to:
- promote academic excellence and scholastic achivement,
- increase the number of talented scholar-athletes prepared to play pro and/or college baseball,
- boost youth participation and interest in baseball and softball,
- reinforce the values of teamwork, stewardship, camaraderie, and high integrity .
"There's a big difference between just playing baseball and actually being a baseball player."
MoCo RBI functions similarly to an Advanced Placement (AP) or Gifted and Talented (GT) program for youth baseball players.
We invest significant time and resources into scouting and assessing talent for the purpose of identifying superior athletes that
have elite-level ability as well as the intangibles to develop into prospects capable of playing collegiately/professionally.
Unlike travel/select baseball, we focus on preparing kids for the competition -- and grind -- that awaits them beyond high school.
We're driven by a student-centered approach that emphasizes proper execution, discipline, and technical mastery of fundamentals
over winning ballgames/tournaments. MoCo RBI's core philosophy is rooted in our belief that the practice field is a classroom,
reps are homework, and games are simply a test of what pupils have learned. Becoming an A+ performer requires studiousness.
If you're a scholar-athlete whose dream is to play baseball at a higher level, then MoCo RBI is perfect for you!
Frequently Asked Questions about MoCo RBI
What exactly are we signing up for with the MoCo RBI program?
Upon registering with the MoCo RBI program, your child is entered into the MLB® pipeline for youth baseball and softball development.
All MoCo RBI participants receive pro-style instruction designed to enhance their fundamental baseball skills, mechanics, and techniques.
We provide instructional camps and clinics, options for competitive league play, as well as access to premium facilitators -- all for free.
High school players that join MoCo RBI gain increased visibility and exposure to the MLB® teams, pro scouts, and college recruiters that monitor RBI programs in search of elite amateur prospects. MoCo RBI is able to nominate its best performers for exclusive showcases and events that are only available to scholar-athletes from MLB® sponsored youth programs.
The MoCo RBI program provides the proper training that today's travel/select baseball and softball organizations so often fail to deliver. Moreover, MoCo RBI enables local kids to compete in the Junior Home Run Derby and Pitch Hit & Run contest.
Which age groups and grade levels does MoCo RBI serve?
MoCo RBI accepts scholar-athletes from grades K-12 as well as home-schooled students, provided that the player has not reached their 19th birthday by May 1st of the year in which they are registering/participating. We offer five (5) program levels:
- Rookie - fundamental skills development, training, and instruction for first-time players
- Single-A - competitive 46/60 or 50/70 league play and fundamental skills development for students age 12 and under
-
Double-A
- organized 60/90 activities, fundamental skills development, and competitive play for players age 13-15
- Triple-A - organized 60/90 activities, fundamental skills development, and competitive play for players age 16-18
-
Majors
- for elite-level baseball/softball players age 13-18 that qualify for tournaments and showcases sponsored by MLB®
Does MoCo RBI participate in any tournaments?
MoCo RBI is eligible to enter its Junior division (age 13-15) and Senior division (age 16-18) all-star teams
into the RBI Mid-Atlantic Regional Tournament, hosted in Durham, NC during the dates of July 18-21, 2019.
Winners advance to compete in the RBI World Series, the international championship tournament of the
MLB® RBI program. The RBI World Series is a nationally televised event on the MLB® Network. This year's
championship will be held at Historic Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Florida.
Are there tryouts required to participate in the MoCo RBI program?
No, the MoCo RBI program does not require players to tryout for our program. We actively scout the Montgomery County region seeking
to identify amateur athletes having the requisite athletic ability and talent to someday play baseball either professionally or collegiately.
MoCo RBI is also willing to assist any scholar-athlete that wishes to attend college in addition to their dream of becoming an MLB® player.
We often schedule pro-style workouts
to assess the fundamental baseball skills of each player
and develop specialized training regimens. In addition, MoCo RBI conducts pre-screening interviews with parents/guardians
to ensure that the program is an ideal fit for their child.
Who is eligible to participate in the MoCo RBI program?
MoCo RBI welcomes all student-athletes in grades K-12, however we are much smaller than most RBI programs nationwide because our primary objective is to assist youth baseball players that dream of someday playing collegiate and/or professional baseball. Furthermore,
we are very skilled at identifying gifted student-athletes that possess the raw talent to evolve into elite prep stars and pro prospects. Currently, MoCo RBI registration is free for kids living in the Montgomery County, Maryland and we accept new participants year round.
Interested parents and players may register for MoCo RBI through our online platform tab.
Which showcases are available to MoCo RBI players?
MoCo RBI is allowed to nominate its players for invitation-only showcase camps, clinics, and events sponsored by MLB® such as the
Hank Aaron Invitational, Breakthrough Series, Dream Series, and Trail Blazer Series. These youth programs provide players with opportunities to train under current and former MLB® players in addition to granting them exposure to pro teams, scouts, and colleges.
My child currently plays on a travel baseball/softball team. Can we still experience the benefits of the MoCo RBI program?
Yes, but your child must be registered with the MoCo RBI program and they must actively participate in our organized baseball activities.
For example, MLB® requires all RBI baseball/softball players to appear in at least 50% of their RBI league games in order to be eligible for
the RBI Regional tournament, the RBI World Series, and nomination to showcases sponsored by MLB®, USA Baseball, and USA Softball.
We enjoy the travel/select baseball model, but are still interested in getting our child more exposure to MLB® teams and colleges.
Would you be willing to inform pro scouts and college recruiters about our child even though we aren't registered with MoCo RBI?
No, the MoCo RBI program will not assist you.
If MoCo RBI believes that my child is a good player, then isn't it safe to assume that we don't need to be involved with the program because pro scouts will likely find my child regardless?
No, by making this assumption, you're actually taking a huge risk -- one that unfortunately has an extremely high probability of failure.
A major reason why scouts now monitor RBI programs nationwide is because the time that they have to find talent is extremely limited.
Moreover, there is an increasing sentiment among industry insiders that prospects in today's generation must be grown organically since the travel/select baseball model isn't producing quality players.
Though MoCo RBI assists the MLB® scouting and youth development apparatus by identifying gifted athletes at the grassroots level,
we do so with the understanding that each player still requires extensive training and fundamental instruction to achieve their potential.
Natural ability is just one of many ingredients that go into developing a prospect's capability of playing the sport beyond high school and
there are numerous other factors -- such as luck, timing, work ethic, and opportunity -- that determine if an athlete achieves their dream.
By not joining the RBI program, a youth baseball player is actually reducing the likelihood that they'll play professionally or in college.
Instead of having access to a multitude of free resources that are unavailable to most prospects, the scholar-athlete must thenceforth
either hope that they'll be noticed later by pro/college scouts or resort to paying astronomical fees just to participate in showcase events
.
Does MoCo RBI offer competitive league play?
Yes, for scholar-athletes in grades 6-12, MoCo RBI now offers two divisions of competitive league play -- middle school and high school.
Each MoCo RBI division consists of at least four (4) teams playing a regular season schedule of twelve (12) games during the Summer.
The league is co-ed and plaayers are placed on rosters based on their preferences, residential zip code, and our team boundary map.
Beginning in the Summer of 2019, MoCo RBI plans to enter its 13U baseball teams into developmental league play hosted by the Washington Nationals Youth Academy.
Does the MoCo RBI program schedule games against opponents outside of its own league?
Yes, to widen the variety of competition available, MoCo RBI has built community relationships that enable us to schedule games against youth baseball teams from other local area RBI programs, private schools, travel/select organizations, and American Legion posts.
Is the competition level of the RBI Program inferior to travel baseball/softball?
Each year, dozens of RBI program alum -- such as Manny Machado (2010) -- are selected by MLB® teams in the First-Year Player Draft
and receive college scholarships, including to Division I-A baseball powerhouses. For this reason, we would argue that the players produced by MLB® RBI programs are vastly superior athletes when compared to the talent of their travel/select baseball counterparts.
Moreover, the RBI World Series features elite international players from all-star teams representing countries such as Puerto Rico,
the Dominican Republic, and Curacao in addition to providing a showcase for some of the top amateur U.S. prospects.
Where does the MoCo RBI program host the majority of its youth baseball/softball activities?
MoCo RBI utilizes ballfields throughout Montgomery County. In addition, we make a concerted effort to provide organized baseball activities for children living in underserved communities that have been neglected by local travel/select baseball leagues. Currently,
MoCo RBI utilizes ballfields throughout Montgomery County. In addition, we make a concerted effort to provide organized baseball activities for children living in underserved communities that have been neglected by local travel/select baseball leagues. Currently,
MoCo RBI is engaged in a collaborative effort with the Washington Nationals Youth Academy to further provide scholar-athletes with athletic and educational development. Through this partnership, MoCo RBI players have access to state-of-the-art facilities and a plethora of activities, camps, clinics, youth skills competitions, league play options, and tournaments.
Is MoCo RBI the same as rec league baseball/softball?
No, MoCo RBI is very different from rec league baseball because our program is tailored specifically for the gifted/elite scholar-athlete.
No, MoCo RBI is very different from rec league baseball because our program is tailored specifically for the gifted/elite scholar-athlete.
Furthermore, the hiring process to serve as a MoCo RBI coach is considerably more intense and selective than rec league baseball
because we offer players opportunities to receive instruction from facilitators having either MLB® or minor league experience.
Our core competency is a cerebral, holistic training approach that cultivates each player's mental, optical, and fundamental growth.
We also have a licensed clinical social worker on-staff who is capable of supplying advocacy, counseling, and programmatic policy input.
As a whole, MoCo RBI is much better equipped to provide support in health, wellness, resiliency, and conflict resolution. The resources
that we have at our availability are unmatched by the standard rec baseball leagues.
How does the MoCo RBI program promote education?
With each player, we engage in discussions about their educational aspirations and stress the importance of academic excellence.
MoCo RBI is dedicated to preparing our ballplayers to be productive citizens all-around and winners in life -- not just athletics.
We encourage kids to boost their academic profile as a means of strengthening their candidacy for college recruiters, especially because
only 1 in every 6,000 high school baseball players will ultimately reach the big leagues. In the future, MoCo RBI will offer a baseball STEM apprenticeship program featuring areas of study such as physics, journalism, stadium design and storm water drainage systems, and
sabermetrics/statistics.
Are there scholarships available to players in MoCo RBI program?
Yes, MLB® has designated the RBI for RBI scholarship to assist student-athletes that plan to attend
Yes, MLB® has designated the RBI for RBI scholarship to assist student-athletes that plan to attend
an accredited two-year or four-year college, university, vocational school, or technical school.
Applicants must be graduating seniors that demonstrate superior academic achievement and leadership.
MoCo RBI participants are eligible to apply for this scholarship provided that they possess at least a
2.50 grade point average on a 4-point scale. The RBI for RBI scholarship provides up to $2,500 per semester.
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