“I'm thinking about ways to bring the idea of encouragement to Taiwan. Coach Shiao and I talk every night about how to make this work at home.”- Coach Ni

Players from the U.S. and Taiwan listen to instructions from the D.C. Dynasty's Coach

A delegation of six boys, four girls, and two coaches traveled to the U.S. from Taiwan to learn about baseball from September 21 – October 2, 2009. The group, made up of 13-15 year olds, learned about sports at every level from tee ball to the pros in their ECA-funded program.

The program was a huge hit with the participants, who were able to attend Major League Baseball games thanks to Adam Dunn and the Washington Nationals in Washington, DC, and the Chicago Cubs in Chicago. They met Hall of Famer Ernie Banks, who took them on a special tour of Wrigley Field, the long-time home of the Cubs; spoke with two players from Taiwan from the Los Angeles Dodgers, Hong-Chih Kuo and Chin-Iung Hu; and met slugger Adam Dunn, who hosted them at Nationals Park and appeared to all of the kids to be a giant. They attended baseball clinics with high-level instruction both at the Ripken Baseball Academy in Aberdeen, Maryland and at the Union League Boys and Girls Club on Chicago’s South Side.

Over the course of their visit, the delegation played baseball with kids from 5-18 years old. At the Ridge Ruxton School, participants assisted with a clinic conducted by the League of Dreams, a program designed to involve kids with a variety of disabilities in baseball. They also visited middle schools, high schools, and universities in Maryland, Virginia, and Chicago, where they saw what it was like to be a young person in the United States focused on both academics and athletics.