The Saints, a traveling softball team spreading messages of hope inside prisons, played an exhibition game against California Institution for Men’s (CIM) Facility A team.
“A lot of times we have this perspective on what they’ve done is so great, that we cast them off,” said Charle Baehner of the Saints Prison Ministry Softball. “That’s not the case at all. These are men just like me, just like every one of my teammates.”
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The team visited the prison during the spring.
Baehner said the Saints have fun while teaching teamwork, positive attitude, sportsmanship and religion.
“We come in, have a good time and hopefully they forget about prison for a day,” he said.
Coach Brian Horan organizes all sporting events around CIM in Chino. From basketball tournaments featuring NBA hall of famers to bringing in iconic pickleball players to tutor future players, Horan said team sports can positively influence the incarcerated peoples’ rehabilitative journey.
“When we get these guys together for these events, they put aside their differences. Anything that might be in the way of working together (or) cooperating in other forms, they put it all aside. (They) come out and compete together in a positive way,” Horan said. “When they eventually leave prison, they’re going to compete and team sports teaches them about positively competing.”
Video, photos, story by Ryan Alexander Herrera, TV Specialist
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