This summer, 13 youngsters from the Howard Palmetto Baseball Khoury League Midget Division will get the thrill of their young lives when they tour Japan as the USA Screaming Eagles and play 10 games against local teams in four cities during a two-week period.

Off to Japan in July are these Howard Palmetto Khoury Leaguebaseball players. They are (l to r, front row) David Blount, Craig Hardeman, Nathan Segal (batboy), John Hopkins, and Michael Leahy; (middle row) Jonathan Brush, Kenny Duke, Zachary Segal, Joey Hoffer, and Ian Healy; (back row) Ian Stowe, Kevin Belt, Ryan Brumfield and Saliya Wikramanayake.

David Hardeman, 43, a Miami native, long-time local youth-league coach and insurance executive, will travel with and manage the team. He’ll have plenty of help as four other coaches also are making the trip, along with several assistant coaches and a contingent of family members.

David Hardeman

"The whole premise is that we’re not going there to win, per se; we’re going there to see how they react in the game," Hardeman said. "We’re going there to see how they’re living and what it’s like in Japan."

He adds that the 11- and 12-year-old youngsters were selected to participate by a group of coaches from the Howard Palmetto Khoury League and that, while baseball talent was a priority in the selection, they also were tapped for their record of sportsmanship, citizenship and good behavior.

The boys will stay in pairs in the homes of the Japanese players, so they’re on a crash study course to learn Japanese phrases, customs and etiquette.

"Things are different there and it’s very easy to make a mistake and upset the Japanese," Hardeman said. "We’re trying to educate our kids about the ‘dos and don’ts’ of Japanese society before we get there."

He said that the objective of the program is to improve international goodwill through the interaction of youth, while enriching the lives of the young people involved in both countries.

In March of next year, in Phase 2 of the program, the young Japanese ballplayers will reciprocate and journey to Miami, where they’ll play two baseball games against Howard Palmetto teams and local families will play host and show them the sites of Miami-Dade County.

Hardeman said the youngsters receive no financial support for the trip from the Howard Palmetto Khoury League and they must raise $1,500 per person, or about $20,000 total, by July 1 to buy uniforms, equipment, lodging, meals, air and ground transportation and scrapbooks for their host families. They have held car washes, candy sales and other fundraising events, but are still short of their goal.

To assist the young ballplayers with a contribution, call 305-667-7107.

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