Global athletic leader New Balance and PROGRAM 15, the premier baseball player development and training system, are continuing their commitment to Developing The Stars of Tomorrow with a multi-year extension for the Future Stars Series.
Launched in the fall of 2016, The Future Stars Series began as a grassroots initiative between New Balance and PROGRAM 15 to elevate the game of baseball by providing amateur players across all economic levels an opportunity to reach their full potential through the training, development, and guidance of former MLB players, scouts, and coaches.
New Balance and PROGRAM 15 have strengthened their commitment to this initiative with a multi-year agreement that will extend PROGRAM 15’s role as the Global Grassroots Player Identification and Development Program for New Balance Baseball and take The Future Stars Series into and beyond the turn of the next decade.
PROGRAM 15 Founder, CEO and President of Baseball Operations for The New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series, Jeremy Booth, says, “When we began this journey called The Future Stars Series, New Balance and Neil Brooks believed in it from the beginning. Together, we’ve watched it grow from an idea to impacting players all over the world. Extending our relationship was never in doubt, and we’re excited to continue as their Global Grassroots Initiative.”
The New Balance Future Stars Series has experienced exponential growth since its inception. News of the grassroots effort to reach as many undiscovered players as possible spread quickly and grabbed the attention of over 100 of the most respected amateur baseball organizations throughout the US, Canada, and Latin America who have come on board as PROGRAM 15 / Future Stars Series Regional Directors and Partners.
That growth is on track to continue as PROGRAM 15 expands their search for international baseball talent with the recent announcement of the Invitation Only Future Stars Series National and World Combines.
Led by PROGRAM 15’s National Staff that includes multiple Major League All-Stars, World Series veterans and former professional baseball players, scouts, and coaches, The Future Stars Series Evaluation and Training Combines have garnered a reputation as the most comprehensive amateur baseball player identification and development experiences available.
Amateur players identified by PROGRAM 15’s National Staff are submitted to New Balance Baseball for advanced scouting and development opportunities including a potential invitation to join the National or World Team Rosters to compete head to head at The Future Stars Series International Week. The 2019 event held at legendary Fenway Park in Boston hosted players from the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Mexico, Bahamas, Australia, Columbia, Panama, Dominican Republic, and Japan.
Since the inaugural International Week in 2018, the annual signature event of New Balance Baseball and PROGRAM 15 has featured 32 amateur players who went on to be selected during the 2018 and 2019 MLB Drafts. Total bonuses from MLB clubs to players participating in Future Stars Series Events have passed the 18 million dollar mark and hundreds of college scholarships across all levels through PROGRAM 15 Regional Partner Organizations.
The 2020 National and World Combines as well as International Week will be broadcast globally by FloSports TV, the exclusive Live Streaming and On-Demand Coverage Provider for The New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series.
ABOUT PROGRAM 15:
PROGRAM 15 boasts a faculty and staff that includes multiple Major League All-Stars and World Series veterans responsible for executing the New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series, an initiative between the two organizations to elevate the game of baseball by providing amateur players across all economic levels an opportunity to reach their full potential through the training, development, and guidance of former MLB players, scouts, and coaches. For more information on PROGRAM 15 and the Future Stars Series, visit www.futurestarsseries.com or @program15bb and @ftrstarsseries on Twitter.
ABOUT NEW BALANCE:
New Balance, headquartered in Boston, MA has the following mission: Demonstrating responsible leadership, we build global brands that athletes are proud to wear, associates are proud to create and communities are proud to host. Manufactured in the U.S. for over 75 years and representing a limited portion of our U.S. sales, New Balance Made U.S. is a premium collection that contains a domestic value of 70% or greater. New Balance owns five factories in New England and one in Flimby, U.K. New Balance employs more than 6,000 associates around the globe, and in 2017 reported worldwide sales of $4 billion. To learn more about New Balance, please visit www.newbalance.com and for the latest press information please visit http://newbalance.newsmarket.com.
