Ian Millman is a Dixhills, New York MLB scout with more than two decades of experience working in and around the industry.
He began his career in baseball as a minor league relief pitcher. He was able to play for a number of teams, including the Catskill Cougars and Albany Diamond Dogs. He was active during the last years of the ‘90s but was unfortunately benched due to a shoulder injury.
He was lucky enough to be able to take on a career as a scout for a number of Major League Baseball teams, including the Pittsburgh Pirates, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Toronto Bluejays, and the Atlanta Braves. Over the course of his career, he has helped more than 100 players get drafted or sign contracts. His knowledge of the game, alongside his background as a player, has given him a keen insight into players that goes beyond mere statistics.
Ian Millman has had his life changed by his career in baseball, and in 2005 he worked together with colleague Frank Paine to found a non-profit organization – The New York Nine Youth Baseball Team. This non-profit has provided more than 300 young athletes with access to professional-level training and sports leadership. These players range in age from 10 to 18, and nearly 270 of eligible players have gone on to earn professional sports contracts or scholarships. This successful venture recently merged with the Bayside Yankees, another summer baseball travel league, and continues to provide youths of all ages with a place to take on serious training for a sports career.
Ian Millman supports young minds and has worked in and around the educational field for some time. As a leader of young athletes, he makes it clear that their education is perhaps the most important thing to focus on. He is proud of the organization he has developed and urges all involved to push these youths to work together on the field and off.
Outside of his career, he and his wife work together to raise their young daughter to have the same motivation and priorities that Ian has displayed throughout his life.
Ian Millman on Sports Fundraising Ideas That Work
Fundraising is an essential part of team sports – whether for school, local community teams, or city sports programs. These teams have a large number of expenses that need to be taken care of, and helping them out is a great way to build a community.
But fundraising for a team is difficult, and over the years some strategies have fallen in or out of favor. But there are plenty of ways to fundraise that mobilize supporters, raise money, and excite all involved.
Potluck Picnics
Community potlucks are classic, especially in the realm of sports. Not quite the standard bake-sale, a picnic can bring together hundreds of people, and raise just as much money in no time. To do this right, you’ll want to charge a flat ticket fee, and organize a sign-up sheet for what food attendees will bring.
And don’t forget to make sure you have the right permissions for whatever space you are using.
Fitness Classes
Covid-19 has shown that there is a ready and clear market for home- or zoom fitness classes. A way to capitalize on this is to invite the most knowledgeable and fittest of players to run zoom training sessions. It can be very easy to add a camera to your player’s gym sessions. Not everybody can keep up with a player’s pace, so make sure to discuss ways to diversify the difficulty of the workout routine beforehand.
Sponsorships
Sports clubs often rely upon infrequent or unpredictable donations, and it’s difficult to guarantee long-term success for teams. An easy way to get started on the ways to a permanent status as a local team is to work together with local businesses on sponsorships. If your local team has a website, offer a space for sponsors to have their own logo displayed, or find other ways to advertise on their behalf. Local businesses and sports teams often result in a sort of symbiotic relationship – and for good reason.
These are just some of the ways that local sports teams can build up their funds, and continue to play. As representatives of the community, it’s important to support and be supported by the teams that spring up within the community. No matter the sport, funds are going to be necessary for long-term success of those involved, and we all should do our
