Club Diamond Nation Announces Its Pre-Launch with a Charity Challenge

Club Diamond Nation Announces Its Pre-Launch with a Charity Challenge

Fans Get the Chance to Support Their Favorite Star’s Charity and Win a One-On-One Training Experience

Flemington, NJ, May 17, 2012 – Club Diamond Nation (www.clubdiamondnation.com), a virtual baseball and softball academy, premieres with the first-ever Club Diamond Nation Charity Challenge. The site’s resident stars will compete to win $25,000 for their selected charities.

Club Diamond Nation will launch Summer 2012 offering playing tips, personalized feedback and fully-produced webcasts from Major League Baseball players, Olympic softball players and coaches.

In a sneak peek to the site’s launch, Club Diamond Nation is asking fans to vote for Barry Larkin, Tom Glavine, Jennie Finch, Kevin Long or Jack Cust Jr.’s aligned charity, simultaneously entering for a chance to win a one-on-one training experience with that star.  The five are affiliated with Club Diamond Nation and will be the hosts of the site’s webcasts.

“I firmly believe success in baseball is dependent upon a strong foundation of fundamental skills,” said Barry Larkin. “I’m looking forward to working with the Club Diamond Nation community to offer unique player development opportunities, educating players and fans.”

Today through July 15, 2012, fans can visit Club Diamond Nation (www.clubdiamondnation.com) and vote for the site’s stars. The star that receives the most fan support will win $15,000 for his or her selected charity, while the other four charities will each receive a $2,500 donation. The selected charities are:

• Barry Larkin – The David Maus Foundation (www.davidmausfoundation.org)
• Tom Glavine – CURE Childhood Cancer (www.curechildhoodcancer.org)
• Jennie Finch – Women’s Sports Foundation (www.womenssportsfoundation.org)
• Kevin Long – Jorge Posada Foundation (www.jorgeposadafoundation.org)
• Jack Cust Jr. – American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org)

“Part of our core mission at Diamond Nation is giving back to the community, so we feel there’s no better way to launch the new Club Diamond Nation site than with a good-natured competition among the site’s sport stars for charity,” Keith Dilgard, President of Club Diamond Nation said.

The site is designed to improve the quality and enjoyment of baseball and softball by providing its members with an online social experience that is both educational and entertaining.

To vote or for more information, visit www.clubdiamondnation.com, follow Club Diamond Nation on Twitter at @clubDN, or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/clubdiamondnation.

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About Club Diamond Nation: Club Diamond Nation is a virtual baseball and softball academy that looks to take a player’s game to the next level. Club Diamond Nation offers:

• Inside tips on how the pros excel at every aspect of the game

• A social platform where players can share their passion for baseball and softball

• An entertaining and educational environment that caters to a participant’s desire for competition, improvement and achievement

From its starting lineup of instructors to informative videos and webisodes, Club Diamond Nation gives users access to expertise not found at any other site. 

About Diamond Nation: With its indoor and outdoor turf field facilities that can house 12 games simultaneously, Diamond Nation has become a prime developmental destination for amateur players throughout the Northeast and is the largest turf complex in the nation. Its domed facility is believed to be the largest amateur indoor field in the world. Diamond Nation is home to both the Jack Cust Baseball Academy and the Jennie Finch Softball Academy.

About Barry Larkin: The newest member of the Baseball Hall of Fame was the National League’s MVP in 1995. After batting a career high of .342 in 1989, he hit .353 in the 1990 World Series as the Reds won the world championship.

About Tom Glavine: One of only six left-handed 300-game winners in the history of MLB, Tom twice won the NL Cy Young Award and was the MVP of the 1995 World Series, the Atlanta Braves’ only world championship.  He’s a 10-time All-Star.

About Jennie Finch: The most famous softball player in history, Jennie was 119-16 as a pitcher for the University of Arizona.  She earned a gold medal at the 2004 Olympic Games and a silver in 2008, and went 36-2 for the US National Team.

About Kevin Long: The New York Yankees hitting coach since 2007 Kevin is respected as one of the best in the game.  He’s the author of Cage Rat: Lessons from a Life in Baseball, which tracks his journey to the majors.

About Jack Cust Jr.: The number one draft pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 1997, Jack went on to star for the Oakland Athletics, with six home runs in his first seven games and 97 over the next four seasons. 

About David Maus Foundation: The David Maus Foundation focuses on helping children with life-threatening illnesses and their families through contributions to charities in Central Florida.

About Cure Childhood Cancer: CURE Childhood Cancer in Atlanta, GA is a nonprofit cancer research foundation dedicated to finding cures for childhood cancer.

About Women’s Sports Foundation: Founded in 1974 by tennis legend Billie Jean King, the Women’s Sports Foundation is dedicated to advancing the lives of girls and women through sports and physical activity.

About Jorge Posada Foundation: The Jorge Posada Foundation provides families and children affected by Craniosynostosis with emotional support and financial assistance.

About American Cancer Society: The American Cancer Society is a nationwide, community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem.