This Issue:

Table of Contents

Cover Story

Cover Story - Spanish Version

Mini-Lesson

Comprehension Quiz

Teacher's Guide and Worksheets

Little Big League

Spanish Translation

Major League Baseball has hit a home run with kids! Last year, the big leagues opened the Urban Youth Academy in Compton, California.

Organizers wanted to get kids excited about America's pastime. They also wanted to give inner-city kids a lush, green field where they could play and learn. As the academy celebrates its first anniversary, it is clear that young players are having a ball.

A League of Their Own

Kids ages 7 to 17 can take free classes year-round at the academy. They learn batting, catching and more. Former Major League players head the camps.

The academy values schoolwork as much as hard work on the field. Students can get tutoring and homework help there. "Our goal is to make major-league people," says the academy's director, Darrell Miller, "and make the world a better place."

For now, the kids in Compton are just happy to be on the field. Gabriel Gallegos, 7, says the best part is going up to bat. "I've got rhythm!" Gabriel told TFK.

Next: An Overdue Honor