Millburn Student’s Batty Effort Helps 1500 Kids To Play Baseball

MILLBURN, NJ — A Millburn High School student’s batty efforts have scored a homerun for a community group that helps youth to realize their baseball dreams in New York City and Newark.

When the Millburn-Short Hills Youth Baseball (MSHYB) organization decided to adopt new USABat rules, any baseball bat used before the 2018 season was suddenly no longer able to be used. So Tyler Barishaw, a rising senior at MHS, saw an opportunity to repurpose 225 otherwise functional pieces of sporting equipment for a good cause.

“I realized that there were a lot of very good bats sitting in peoples’ garages in town that were no longer allowed to be used for Millburn Little League,” Barishaw said. “So I wanted to get the bats to kids who could use them.”

Barishaw researched potential organizations that could benefit from a large bat donation, publicized the bat collection and set up collection bins at Gero Park where the bats could be dropped off, regularly collecting them as the bins filled up.

When he’d gathered literally hundreds of bats, Barishaw donated them on the behalf of MSHYB to DREAM, formerly known as Harlem RBI. According to the MHS student, the organization has been using the power of baseball teams to inspire youth to recognize their potential and realize their dreams since 1991.

“Harlem RBI is located in East Harlem, with additional branches servicing the South Bronx and Newark,” he said. “It has a unique program model that uses team-based methods to provide a comprehensive, enriching experience for young people.”

According to Barishaw, more than 1,500 children will use the donated bats in their baseball leagues and games this summer.

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Photo: Jason Polanco, Athletics, Health &Wellness Coordinator from Dream, Harlem RBI and Tyler Barishaw (via Tyler Barishaw)