Youth sports serve as the foundation for many kids’ lives, but the unfortunate reality is that many
young athletes lack access to the resources that contribute to their success. Jason Landers
has made it his mission to fill this need for Huntsville’s youngest baseball and softball players.
While he helps families secure their financial futures as a financial advisor during the week, he
extends his investment into the Huntsville community as Chairman of The Bullpen Foundation
on weeknights and weekends. By helping athletes pay their registration fees and obtain much-
needed equipment such as batting helmets, gloves, cleats, and bat bags, Jason and The Bullpen
have already leveled the playing field for many young athletes.
After a childhood spent playing baseball, Jason has always tried to stay connected to the sport.
For seven years, he coached his son’s youth baseball team, and couldn’t help
but view the sport through a new lens. Every gameday, he watched as talented players made the
most of worn-out shoes, cheap and flimsy gloves, and dented bats. He couldn’t shake the feeling
that these players were at a disadvantage compared to the players who had brand new, top-notch
gear. Once Jason started talking with parents and other coaches, he
discovered just how many players struggled to even pay registration fees, let alone afford new
equipment.
While he decided to step away from coaching once his son started playing for Grissom High,
Jason said, “I knew I wanted to stay engaged in youth sports because it was a big part of my life
growing up.” He quickly realized he could stay engaged by supporting the many
kids that struggle to keep up with the costs of the sport. With a couple of friends, he embarked on
a grassroots campaign and founded The Bullpen Foundation in 2022.
The Bullpen’s tagline reads: “Strengthening Our Community Through Youth Sports.” To
accomplish this goal for athletes aged 6–12, The Bullpen has consistently sought out new
opportunities for fundraising and fostering community connections. Every year, Huntsville’s
Parks and Recreation department sends Jason a list of families in need. With help from corporate
partners such as Winning Edge, The Bullpen buys a new batting helmet, glove, pair of cleats, and
bat bag for the athletes on the list and pays their season registration fees. Just last fall, The Bullpen received approximately $100,000 in grants to support athletes in need, and Jason hopes this number will continue to grow.
For Jason, the key to building The Bullpen has been consistently showing up. One of the biggest
hurdles at the beginning was establishing trust with local parks and parents and demonstrating
the nonprofit’s commitment to the community. Jason said he was often asked, “What’s your
endgame here?” or “Why are you doing this?” Over time, accusatory questions turned into emails from
grateful parents and more partnerships with local parks and businesses. Doubt and uncertainty
about striking out turned into motivation and real visible impact as he watched more kids smile
upon receiving a shiny new bat and more kids pour into baseball and softball camps.
Jason credits many people for The Bullpen’s success. He claims he couldn’t have gotten started
without Chris Hanback, The Bullpen’s founding board member. While Chris completed his term
and is no longer on the board, Jason states that “Chris was instrumental in helping launch the
organization” and establish valuable relationships within the community. Jason also heaped
praise on the current board members, Robert Dowling, Joe Yearta, Matt Davis, Tony McGinnis
and Amanda Ahmed, for maintaining The Bullpen’s momentum and planning its future
directions for serving the youth sports community in Huntsville.
Despite The Bullpen’s incredible impact on Huntsville youth, Jason knows that the problem still
poses great concern. When I asked him about the nonprofit’s future, he said, “I don’t think we’ve
even hit the tip of the iceberg as far as what the need is in just Huntsville city. But our goal is to
eventually expand into the county in North Alabama.” Even if The Bullpen is still in its opening
stages, it has already been a home run for so many of Huntsville’s young athletes.
With its upcoming equipment drive on March 14th at Milton Frank Stadium, The Bullpen hopes
to collect more new or gently used equipment than ever before to give back to the athletes that
need it most. Additionally, The Bullpen’s Kickball Fundraiser—its signature event—will be held
on May 3 rd at Wick’s Family Field at Joe Davis Stadium. Jason describes the tournament as “a
Sunday afternoon of fun and kickball games” to support The Bullpen’s mission and bring some
more fun into the city. Additionally, The Bullpen hosts a free baseball and softball camp at Lee
High School every November to continue to provide athletes with what they need most: access to
high-quality resources and training.
While the problem may be far from resolved, Jason has high hopes for what The Bullpen
Foundation can accomplish for the greater Huntsville area. He hopes to continue doing
everything he can to invest in our youth sports community and to ensure that these athletes are as prepared and confident as possible.