Batter Up: Nicole Fernandez steps up to the plate to support youth in Colombia

By Mitchell Sasser | WeINSPIRE Reporter

HARRISONBURG, Va. - Sports journalist turned philanthropist, Nicole Fernandez, knows the importance sports can have on a community. It’s more than just building athletes, it’s about creating communities where kids have the opportunity to play, create social bonds, and work as a team.

 Fernandez is the founder and president of Game Time Foundation. Since 2014, it has helped provide equipment and support for 31 teams and 2,500 kids in Colombia.  

Fernandez with a group of youth in Colombia

Photo courtesy of Nicole Fernandez

“It’s more than just providing the equipment, it’s about believing in the kid and believing in the child that they can do anything they want to do,” Fernandez said.

 Fernandez pursued broadcasting while in college at Florida International University. She remembered going to baseball games with her father as a kid, and was always more interested in baseball than football or soccer.

 After several internships, Fernandez realized there could be more for her than simply sports broadcasting and journalism. She wanted more than “just a job.” She wanted to change lives for children, particularly those in poverty-stricken areas.  

Fernandez knew that sports connect children to their community and provide opportunities for success. A particular encounter affirmed this for her and gave her both the evidence and motivation she needed to become a change maker. 

Fernandez met a boy named Juan at baseball practice in Barranquilla, Colombia who loved baseball. Fernandez was covering a Yankee scout at the time, and chose to “interview” the young boy (she didn’t record because he was a minor). 

She asked him what he thought of his coach, and he said, “Yo lo amo.” I love him. Fernandez said the reason for his answer was because he taught him to play baseball. 

Fernandez with Juan as he puts on his baseball uniform from Game Time Foundation

Photo courtesy of Nicole Fernandez

“I think the most important thing from this story is the importance of listening to people, to children, and the importance of listening to what the universe tells/show you,” Fernandez said. “I followed my heart to start something because I wanted more to life than just a "job," I wanted to impact lives.”

This awakened something in Fernandez.  A realization came that there could be many other children like Juan who could benefit from the sport of baseball. She traveled back to Florida and googled how to start a nonprofit, which led to Game Time Foundation. 

 “I completely left the idea of wanting to be on ESPN to pursue something bigger...,” Fernandez said. “I wanted to touch lives, I kind of had no idea of what I was getting myself into, I pretty much just followed my heart and that’s how Game Time started.”

 Game Time Foundation has helped 31 teams in 21 towns of 6 different Departments of Northern Colombia. Fernandez always arrives first to Barranquilla, Colombia where her family and friends help her organize the Game Time trips. It is the fourth largest city in Colombia with a population of more than 1.2 million people.  After watching the growth of the baseball and softball teams  over the years, Fernandez has seen the change and has also noticed the children themselves have realized how important sports can be in their lives.

This is where Game Time Foundation focuses their efforts

Photo courtesy of the Game Time Foundation website

“Their way of connecting is through a sport. I think a sport teaches them a lot of things that they don’t even get at home, responsibility, teamwork, and what surprised me a lot – love and family,” Fernandez said.

“Some of the kids have told me, ‘thanks to you for providing the equipment, but because of that equipment, our coach has created a community,’” Fernandez said. “‘I don’t just have a teammate, I have a friend, I have a sister.’ I think sports is just a way to unite these kids and make them grow in so many ways.”

 While Fernandez started off with the vision of just having baseball and softball with Game Time Foundation, she quickly realized that there was room for basketball and soccer as well. The foundation has supported 19 baseball teams, 7 soccer teams, 3 softball teams, and 2 basketball teams.  It doesn’t matter what sport it is, as long as the children have opportunities and are positively impacted.

 “It all comes down to what sports does for these kids,” Fernandez said.

 “I think the most important thing is how you help others, the love that you give – even if no one can give you anything back, just helping that person out is a lot,” Fernandez said.

 Since March 2019, Fernandez has been the South Florida correspondent for La Vida baseball, a social media platform, which celebrates “the past, present and future of Latino baseball through our own lens and voice.”

 Fernandez said that she hopes to keep Game Time Foundation going strong and in 5-10 year she would like to write a book about her experience in nonprofit, as well as start a family. 

And of course, whether it’s professional baseball or a child in Colombia, she knows one thing that she will be doing is certain: “Helping Colombian baseball grow as much as I can through my work.”

Like many other non-profit foundations, Game Time Foundation is being affected by COVID-19. Fernandez heavily relies on transportation in order to go from Florida to Colombia and said she doesn’t think she will be able to travel for at least a year to a year and a half. 

“As much as I want to go, baseball, and sports in general, are on a hold,” Fernandez said. “I can't put at risk my health, my volunteers' health, and the health of the kid's I'll be visiting.”

Fernandez said that the priority right now is to stay healthy and see how COVID-19 is impacting the world in 6 - 12 months. Although she is hopeful to be back in the game soon. 

“COVID-19 is not a roadblock for [Game Time Foundation], it's going to be a way to reinvent itself and grow,” Fernandez said. 

Fernandez was recognized as a WeINSPIRE Ambassador.