By By Anna Johansson Jul 22, 2013 in Sports Baseball is the quintessential sport for uniting people. It is a tradition in the United States and Japan and now its popularity is catching on in other countries, like Kenya. It was recently announced that baseball will be introduced to 500 Kenyan children after efforts were made to raise the money to make the American sport truly global. A group of scouts have recently exported it to the Dominican Republic as well as an Indian reservation in South Dakota, but taking it all the way to Africa has always been their real goal. A trip to Kenya as well as the equipment to launch baseball there is, not surprisingly, rather costly. However, Tumminia was overwhelmed by the support and it's clear that plenty of Americans love their sport enough to want to spread it far and wide. He'll be traveling to Kenya in October 2013 with equipment to watch his dream come alive. Tumminia wanted to do something with baseball and he wanted to help kids, and now he's counting down the days. What exactly will baseball in Kenya look like? A bare-bones approach There isn't enough money to bring costly equipment like braces overseas, but all kids really need is someone to teach them the sport and the use of gloves and bats. Baseball has long been a game revered by children because it's pretty simple to play almost anywhere outdoors. He's received financial and emotional support from people around the US. Along with his colleagues and fellow scouts, they've come up with their own ad hoc approach to charity. The best gifts come out of passion, and it's obvious that's where Tumminia's motivation lies. Fans are waiting impatiently for his trip to begin so they can hear about (and see photos of) just how well the sport is received. Spreading the benefits Some things are universal, including the many benefits of Children who get to play a sport develop stronger self-esteem, get practice setting goals, and learn how to lose gracefully. They also enjoy the benefits of exercise, and baseball is an equal parts physical and mental activity. Most importantly, baseball brings people together. That's the ultimate goal Tumminia is after, and is ultimately achieving. This isn't the first time he's taking baseball overseas, but he's expecting this time to have the most impact. Kenya is a complete stranger to baseball, but Tumminia and his supporters think the sport will quickly become beloved. A teaching moment Baseball is also a popular pickup sport because the basic game is When kids are excited about something — and sports is a natural favorite — they tend to go above and beyond to "convert" their friends so everyone can enjoy it together. However, when people really get into a sport, they naturally want (and sometimes need) additional pieces of equipment such as braces and higher quality pieces of equipment If you're an athlete or interested in supporting future athletes, consider all aspects of your equipment — not just the basics. After all, a great brace Baseball and Kenya might not be the most obvious match, but John Tumminia, a scout for the White Sox, is committed to bringing the sport to the African nation with the help of a host of volunteers.It was recently announced that baseball will be introduced to 500 Kenyan children after efforts were made to raise the money to make the American sport truly global. A group of scouts have recently exported it to the Dominican Republic as well as an Indian reservation in South Dakota, but taking it all the way to Africa has always been their real goal. A trip to Kenya as well as the equipment to launch baseball there is, not surprisingly, rather costly.However, Tumminia was overwhelmed by the support and it's clear that plenty of Americans love their sport enough to want to spread it far and wide. He'll be traveling to Kenya in October 2013 with equipment to watch his dream come alive. Tumminia wanted to do something with baseball and he wanted to help kids, and now he's counting down the days.What exactly will baseball in Kenya look like?There isn't enough money to bring costly equipment like braces overseas, but all kids really need is someone to teach them the sport and the use of gloves and bats.Baseball has long been a game revered by children because it's pretty simple to play almost anywhere outdoors. Pickup games are staples and as patriotic as apple pie. Tumminia is convinced that baseball will take off like wildfire in Kenya, and he's not alone.He's received financial and emotional support from people around the US. Along with his colleagues and fellow scouts, they've come up with their own ad hoc approach to charity. The best gifts come out of passion, and it's obvious that's where Tumminia's motivation lies. Fans are waiting impatiently for his trip to begin so they can hear about (and see photos of) just how well the sport is received.Some things are universal, including the many benefits of introducing children to a sport . Team sports foster teamwork, of course, but there are also many other perks.Children who get to play a sport develop stronger self-esteem, get practice setting goals, and learn how to lose gracefully. They also enjoy the benefits of exercise, and baseball is an equal parts physical and mental activity.Most importantly, baseball brings people together. That's the ultimate goal Tumminia is after, and is ultimately achieving. This isn't the first time he's taking baseball overseas, but he's expecting this time to have the most impact. Kenya is a complete stranger to baseball, but Tumminia and his supporters think the sport will quickly become beloved.Baseball is also a popular pickup sport because the basic game is pretty simple to learn and share. Although Tumminia is heading to Kenya in part to help teach the basics, he's also there to see just how baseball knowledge is learned and shared.When kids are excited about something — and sports is a natural favorite — they tend to go above and beyond to "convert" their friends so everyone can enjoy it together.However, when people really get into a sport, they naturally want (and sometimes need) additional pieces of equipment such as braces and higher quality pieces of equipment to play safely and better. It's yet to be seen just how widely baseball will spread in Kenya, but Tumminia is off to a great start.If you're an athlete or interested in supporting future athletes, consider all aspects of your equipment — not just the basics. After all, a great brace can do more for a player than the latest glove after an injury. More about Baseball, kenyan baseball, Tumminia More news from Baseball kenyan baseball Tumminia