The Hank Aaron Sports Academy (HASA) is designed to host youths from economically-disadvantaged areas of Mississippi and the southeastern region of the United States. For too long, the Jackson Public School District, located in the capitol city of Jackson, MS has had the unfortunate designation of one of the few if not the only school district to have seven (7) high schools and not one of them having its own (on- campus) baseball field. In 2017, a group of concerned coaches, parents and political leaders came together to determine how best to solve this issue. Born was the concept that would later come to be known as the Hank Aaron Sports Academy.Through local and national financial support the HASA will provide an opportunity for each of the seven high schools to host, practice and play games on a modern and up-to-date baseball facility. TheAcademy will also serve as the host for as many as 36 – 40 weekends of tournament baseball for ages 6-14 featuring both recreational leagues and travel leagues, many playing with and against each other in a setting such as this one offers. It is our hope and goal that this level of competition, exposure and training will increase our youths and their parents’ interest in the sport of baseball.

“Many of our youth don’t have the financial capabilities to compete in “travel ball” due to the costsassociated with hotels, rental cars, food and the other costs involved with going out of town 2 or 3weekends a month. Local HASL tournaments will now allow these same families to only need to travelan hour or so or in some cases just across town to play travel ball without all of the financial overhead” – Clint Johnson, League President.

With baseball becoming an almost year-round sport, the HASA will be able to offer the same
alternatives and opportunities to the youth of Mississippi and surrounding states as is experienced in somany other areas and countries where academies like this one prevail.