Redbird Rookies League to Receive Resources and Assistance to Build Emotional Resiliance
ST. LOUIS, Mo., May 11, 2016 – Alive and Well STL, an initiative of the St. Louis Regional Health Commission, is joining Redbird Rookies, sponsored by Cardinals Care, as a community partner for the 2016 summer season. Redbird Rookies sponsors more than 20 leagues, serving nearly 4,500 youth baseball players in the St. Louis area and parts of rural Missouri and Illinois. This partnership will further advance the work of Cardinals Care in the communities it serves by providing support to the leagues, coaches and families.
“From the inception of the Redbird Rookies program, we have looked at ways to connect community resources to the youth and families we serve,” said Keith Brooks, director of Cardinals Care. “We are pleased to add Alive and Well STL as a community partner. We believe learning resiliency skills will help our teams succeed on the ball fields, but more importantly help the coaches, players and families in their daily lives.”
Alive and Well STL is a community-wide effort focused on reducing the impact of stress and trauma on health and well-being.
“The research tells us that toxic stress and traumatic experiences are making many of us sick and are a leading cause of disease in our community,” said Robert Fruend, Jr., chief executive officer of the St. Louis Regional Health Commission. “Programs like Redbird Rookies are important interventions. The healthy relationships the kids, coaches and families develop help to lessen the social and biological impact of stress and trauma. With additional information and resources from our Alive and Well STL partners, we can help the adults and kids involved with the team learn more about how to identify and cope with the stress in their lives.”
League organizers and parents will learn about the information and resources available from Alive and Well STL partners at upcoming Redbird Rookies events on May 11 and May 13. “Preventative health care doesn’t just take place in the doctor’s office,” Fruend said. “It takes place within our communities, including on the ball fields. We are pleased that the St. Louis Cardinals are joining us and our partners to improve the health of our community.”
Alive and Well STL brings together a wide cross section of organizations in the community, including media partners NewsChannel 5, The St. Louis American, HOT 104.1 and Old School 95.5. To learn more about Alive and Well STL visit www.aliveandwellstl.com.
