Our story

Our purpose

Give young people, especially those with fewer resources, access to a fun, high-quality baseball experience with knowledgeable coaches and role models who care about them. We want every camper to leave more confident, better equipped to improve, and knowing that people believe in their potential.

What hasn’t changed: camp stays free, the coaching stays high quality, and we keep working to reach kids who don’t always get this kind of opportunity.

Our founder

Baseball Cares was founded by Jack Woda, a catcher at Bishop O’Connell High School. Jack was a first-team All-WCAC selection three years running, a first-team All-State pick in 2025 and 2026, and the starting catcher on the 2026 team that won O’Connell’s first WCAC championship since 2001. Perfect Game and Prep Baseball Report both ranked him the top catcher in Virginia’s Class of 2026. He now plays at East Carolina University. For the first Baseball Cares camp in November 2025, Jack brought together Division I players who have since gone on to Stanford, Virginia, Maryland and East Carolina, along with pro guests, to teach local kids for free.

“I grew up going to youth baseball camps. I always have wanted to run one of these to try and give back to the game from what I have learned.”Jack Woda, quoted in ARLnow, Dec. 5, 2025

Jack had good people behind him. H3 Baseball, led by founder and board chair Jeff Burton, backed the first camp through its Points of Light Program and was its primary financial sponsor. Jeff also mentored Jack as he wrote a financial and business plan and got the camp organized. We are grateful to Jeff and H3 Baseball for giving a young catcher with an idea the chance to make it happen.