[Originally written for Journalism 230 Media Reporting Class, August 2015]

KNOXVILLE, Tenn.— In America, sports are a business. Brands sponsor athletes, major corporations advertise at sporting events and players are often worshipped as celebrities. In Venezuela, athletics are a gateway to new opportunities.

“Because of God and baseball, I was able to come to school in America,” said Ernis Arias, a baseball coach from Caracas.

Arias, along with five other Venezuelan coaches, came to the University of Tennessee as a part of the International Sports Programming Initiative: Sport for Social Change. The coaches toured athletic facilities around the university and learned about the role of sports in American culture and how it differs from their own customs.

“The support sports in America get from private companies, foundations and even the government is the biggest difference,” Arias said. “We don’t get that kind of support.”

The financial backing is not the only difference the coaches recognized in their travels. They all joined sports to better their lives and help the children they coach do the same.

“Alberto became a Mixed Martial Arts fighter because he was bullied his whole life,” Arias translated for Alberto Ramón Yaguare Morales. “He decided to become a coach because he doesn’t want those children to go through what he went through.”

Morales also said that he can teach others about self control, healthy living and self-esteem through his sport.

Arias decided to become a baseball player because it was a family sport, but found that it created opportunities for an education and career in America.

“All the men in my family practiced baseball,” Arias said. “For me, it has been the tool that has opened all the doors possible.”

According to a statistic from Major League Baseball, 59 Venezuelans played on an American major league team in 2014. They ranked second behind the Dominican Republic.

The task of coaching children and teenagers is predictably challenging.

“We understand the changes that teenagers go through, so, because we know it, we try to give them the tools to guide them,” said Arias. “For us, it’s a privilege.”

The coaches agreed the hardest part of the exchange is being so far away from their loved ones, but they look forward to sharing their knowledge and experiences.