Immediately after making Aliyah, Justin Peedin took on the role of Director of Baseball Operations at the Israel Association of Baseball in September. Three months into his role, we caught up with him.

What is your background?
I was born in Columbia, Maryland, between Baltimore and Washington D.C. I starting playing t-ball at the age of 5 and played through my college years at the club level at Towson University. I played little league, travel leagues, and throughout high school at River Hill High School in Clarksville, Maryland. I graduated from Towson with a degree in Communications in 2011. Since then I’ve worked in marketing, sales and business development.
Why did you decide to make Israel home?
I came here on Taglit (Birthright) in May 2015 and fell in love with the people of Israel and the country. I had a change of heart during a visit to one of the refugee schools in South Tel Aviv. It became my desire to work with at risk youth and integrate sports in that work. Soon after, I joined a Masa program in Harduf, where I taught English in an Arab village for 5 months.
How did you get involved in Israel Baseball?
At the leadership summit in Jerusalem in November 2015, I learned about the baseball internship program in Tel Aviv. I got in touch with Nate Fish and the rest is history. So far, I’ve loved every minute of the program, even the challenges of baseball in Israel.
What have been the highlights so far?
The most meaningful work I did during the Masa program was volunteering at Bialik Rogozin three days a week with a young boy from Nigeria who struggled because of traumas in Egypt. I am truly humbled to work for an organization that sees the importance and possibilities of bringing the sport I love to Israel’s youth. My favorite programs are Baseball Le’kulam (which bring together Jewish and Arab Israeli kids to learn to play baseball) and the Bialik Rogizin program Ophir Katz has wonderfully continued.
What is your vision for Israel Baseball?
My vision is endless. Nate (Fish) did a fabulous job in setting a higher standard for our coaches and baseball environments across the country. Our team (including Ophir Katz, Director of Development, and Josh Scharff, Head of the Israel Baseball Academy and National Team Program) will continue with his work. I see that endless mindset in our board members as well, and it motivates me on a daily basis.
What have been the biggest challenges and how do you try to overcome them?
I have found that the negative side of this “can-do” attitude is that ideas and programs can be shut down quickly. That doesn’t stop us and never will in our efforts to grow baseball. I love our Israel Baseball family. The people who have been involved for so long are what make it so great. I look forward to being a part of the team and helping to grow our family both and here and abroad.

Source link: http://www.baseball.org.il/