April 18, 2017
Many veterans face an uphill battle when they return home as they figure out how they will integrate back into society. This is what motivated Mike Pereira to create create the foundation “Battlefields to Ballfields.’’ The Foundation will provide scholarships to veterans who return from defending our country with an opportunity to get integrated back into their community through officiating.
In serving in the military, and in officiating, there’s the common bond of being a member of a team and creating order out of chaos. Battlefields to Ballfields will provide these veterans with an opportunity to hone their newfound officiating skills and participate in something that will give them a new sense of self-worth along with the ability to make some extra income. While the ultimate goal will be to get some of our returning veterans into the upper levels of officiating, including the professional ranks, they will start out at the local level working high school and youth level games. Local associations are actively recruiting because there aren’t enough officials signing up. This Foundation will put more officials and judges into the system and will greatly enhance the image of those entering the officiating ranks.