Combining Passion with Purpose – The Jackie Robinson Field Project
48 hours, 20 strangers and one common goal to build an all-new baseball field at John Muir High School in California, home of baseball’s original creator.
It’s easy to get swallowed by routine once you settle into the corporate world. Because of routine habits, we become prone to asking ourselves what the true meaning of our work is. Does what we do 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. really matter? We start itching for something grander and something more tangible.
Well, what if you could get away from your day job and join 20 colleagues outside of your department to build something out of nothing in an entirely different location? And what if that something could make the world a better place?
48 hours, 20 people and one common goal is all it took to build a baseball/softball field from scratch, one that honors the barrier-breaking legacy of Jackie Robinson.
Acting on a vision and belief
Okay, I’ll be honest, though – it takes WAY more than 48 hours and 20 strangers to build a field. It takes shovels, rakes, gloves and goggles. It takes detailed instructions and measurement tools. It takes heavy machinery, metal, dirt, screwdrivers and hammers. But I’ll be the first to tell you that even THESE aren’t the most important ingredients to building a field. It’s passion. It’s purpose. And it’s the collective power of people who truly believe in the ability sport has to change lives.
I had the opportunity to join 20 of the most incredible people I’ve ever met on this journey to physically remove barriers to sport through the Jackie Robinson give-back project. The field will serve the 800 students of John Muir High School, but will also become a community driver to grow little league participation and provide a safe place to play for all kids.
Giving back has many winners
We started as strangers, but we left as family. We didn’t just build a field together – we built an environment that will give kids the opportunity to see life through the lens of sport the way we do for years to come. Kids will win and lose on this field but, more importantly, they will better themselves in the process. And that’s what it’s all about.
When you combine passion with purpose, there’s no limit to what can be accomplished. What we do 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. always matters, as long as you have the courage to believe it.
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