KALAMAZOO, MI -- A year after retiring from Major League Baseball, former New York Yankee superstar Derek Jeter sounds like he's happily settling into his new life.

That past year "has been fun," Jeter said during a short press conference Thursday evening in Kalamazoo. "I don't miss playing.

"I played for 20 years and I put everything I had into it," said Jeter, a 1992 graduate of Kalamazoo Central High School. "I had a great career. When you're young, you dream of playing professional baseball and you dream of playing for the Yankees but everything that comes with it isn't part of the dream.

"Now it's over and done with," he said. "I've got other things I'm excited about and I'm passionate about."

Among those projects: His Turn 2 Foundation and the Players Tribune, a new media platform that lets athletes tell their own "unbiased stories," Jeter said.

Jeter returned to his hometown Thursday for a day of events connected to Turn 2, the foundation he started in 1996 to promote healthy lifestyles among young people. Its signature program is Jeter's Leaders, which seeks to turn high schoolers in Kalamazoo County and New York City into community leaders and positive role models.

On Thursday, Turn 2 organized a visit by Jeter to Bronson Children's Hospital in the afternoon.

Hospitals visits are "always kind of difficult," Jeter said. But "it puts a smile on kids' faces and that's what it's all about."

RELATED: Derek Jeter is funny and sweet during Bronson hospital visit

Hours after going to Bronson, Jeter made a surprise visit to a holiday party organized by Turn 2 and Jeter's Leaders for about 150 Kalamazoo-area students selected for their academic and behavior successes. The party was held at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Kalamazoo in the Edison Neighborhood.

Jeter said he's proud of how his foundation has grown and evolved over the years.

"We were a small family foundation when we started out," he said. Now it has corporate sponsors, a celebrity-laden fundraiser in New York and a golf tournament in Las Vegas.

"We've just continued to grow," Jeter said. "It's much bigger and better than we ever thought. A lot of the credit for that goes to my sister. She took over from my dad and has taken the foundation to new heights."

Jeter again referenced his sister, Sharlee, when asked about whether he will become more involved in the foundation now that he's retired.

"That's a tough question," he said. "I've always been involved.

"I have a lot more time on my hands now, but I'm not sure how much my sister wants" additional help, he joked as Sharlee Jeter stood nearby. "But you'll probably see me a lot more."

Among Jeter's post-retirement ventures is The Players Tribune, a media platform with a website that includes written pieces, photography, videos and podcasts by athletes. The Tribune also has a weekly radio show on Sirius XM.

Investors in the media organization include NBA superstar Kobe Bryant, who recently announced his retirement in a poem posted on the website.

Jeter said the goal is to give athletics an "unfiltered" media platform.

"A lot of athletes are a little hesitant to speak their mind because in this day and age, it's all about headlines and shock value and the message gets lost," Jeter said.

"So we want to give athletes a chance to initiate a conversation, talk about the things they want to talk about. Athletes are not just one-dimensional people; they have other interests and other thoughts."

So far, almost 500 athletes have posted on the site, he said, and athletes are now soliciting the website with pieces they want published.

"It's grown a lot, but still have ways to go," Jeter said. "Now athletes are seeing the site and reaching out to us. It's a trusted place."

One topic Jeter politely but firmly refused to address Thursday was his recent engagement to model Hannah Davis.

Asked about wedding plans, Jeter said, "I don't talk about that."

Julie Mack is a reporter for MLive.com. Email her at jmack1@mlive.com, call her at 269-350-0277 or follow her on Twitter @kzjuliemack.