Airstream Ventures director of operations Shane Mularkey has over a decade of experience in sales, real estate, and event management roles. Aside from his work, Shane Mularkey is an active member of his Florida community and supports several organizations, both as an individual and through Airstream Ventures. One of the groups the company supports is Walk Off Charities.
The goal of Walk Off Charities is to provide young people from underserved communities with the opportunity to learn how to play baseball and, through that, teach them lessons and skills they can use in various aspects of their lives.
Among the many initiatives, Walk Off Charities organizes clinics for third graders, mainly those coming from underserved communities. The goal of these clinics is to introduce children to baseball and the STEM aspects of this sport. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Children will learn about launch angle, fastballs and how to pitch to create velocity, the effect of gravity in bringing the ball back to earth, and the importance of accuracy in throwing.
The children who participate in the clinics get to spend time at each of the four stations: batting, pitching, fielding, and throwing. At each station, they learn the basics, and they get to practice. At the end of the clinic, students are asked if they would like to play for a baseball team and whether they believe every child should have the opportunity to play.
In addition to learning the game and practicing, children receive a new glove as a first step in getting equipped for the sport, and they receive lunch provided by the charity’s partners. Finally, children have the opportunity to interact with high school and college coaches that will share their insights.
