The Italian American Baseball Foundation (IABF) and the Federation
of Italian Baseball and Softball (FIBS) have developed a baseball portal for international talent to apply for
visibility with the Italian clubs and an opportunity to play or coach
professional baseball and softball in Italy.
After players or coaches apply, their information is stored in a
protected database accessible by FIBS, the Italian Baseball and Softball clubs,
and IABF officials. To be clear, this does not guarantee players or coaches the
opportunity to play or work in Italy, it opens the opportunity for exposure,
communication, and the potential to be considered by the clubs. This portal,
which is available at IABF.Foundation/PlayerPortal
is open to people with or without Italian heritage from any country.
There is a $250 application fee. All revenue generated by the
application fee will help support annual college baseball showcases, which is
part of both organizations’ commitment to youth and program development.
Additionally, players and coaches who are officially selected to be part of
teams in Italy are expected to help conduct youth baseball and softball clinics
in Italy or America with the help of FIBS and IABF.
“One of the core principles of the IABF is to bridge gaps between Italy
and America through baseball and softball, and this agreement would continue
building that bridge,” said IABF President/Co-Founder Joe Quagliano.
“While the cooperation between FIBS and IABF continues to grow with the
main goal of developing talent and opportunities for young players, this
initiative combines this task with providing Italian clubs with access to
profiles of players and coaches wishing to apply for a location in Italy. There
are many who write to the Federation every year and we are certain that among
them there are professionals who will be able to contribute to the growth of
the whole movement,” commented FIBS President Andrea Marcon.
How does it work?
- The player or coach registers to the portal by creating his/her personal account and pays a $250 application fee on the IABF.Foundation website.
- The application consists of:
- Applicant information: name, location, age, education
- Baseball/Softball information: teams, stats, awards, rankings
- Multimedia: Videos, photos, articles
- References: letters from coaches, teammates
- Once the application is submitted, it will be reviewed by IABF, FIBS, and Italian clubs officials
- Possible outcomes
- Further communication about potential tryouts
- Waitlisted for future opportunity
Important Disclaimer: Paying the application fee does not guarantee
coaching, a playing spot, or even communication from a club. If a player or
coach is chosen to work in Italy, all travel, expenses, logistics, and anything
beyond the application and initial point of communication are up to the
individual and their prospective team, not IABF or FIBS.
ABOUT IABF: The Italian American Baseball Foundation works to bridge the gap between Italy and the United States through baseball and softball. IABF’s mission is to grow the game and provide opportunities for youth development through education. The core functions of the foundation are to build a pipeline of baseball and softball players from Italy to the United States through college scholarships and showcases, support the Italian National Teams as American partners and promote heritage and pride for Italian Americans in baseball from high school to the Major Leagues.
ALL INFO HERE
RECRUITMENT PORTAL
Photo: Andrea Marcon and Joe Quagliano (ph. Chris Herder)
Marco Landi and Chris Vaccaro
