{"id":3243,"date":"2020-06-01T12:41:34","date_gmt":"2020-06-01T16:41:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/alumni\/?p=3243"},"modified":"2020-06-01T12:41:34","modified_gmt":"2020-06-01T16:41:34","slug":"get-to-know-justin-prinstein-12-looking-to-change-lives-with-baseball","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/alumni\/2020\/06\/01\/get-to-know-justin-prinstein-12-looking-to-change-lives-with-baseball\/","title":{"rendered":"Get to know: Justin Prinstein ’12, looking to change lives with baseball"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Photo by Alex Mansfield<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Justin Prinstein \u201912 says he still finds it hard to believe the impact his International Stars Baseball Academy has had on underserved children over the last seven years.<\/p>\n

The University of Detroit Mercy School of Law alumnus created the nonprofit organization in the winter of 2012 to introduce Detroit children to baseball. But the lessons extend far beyond the playing field: International Stars helps children by providing mentorship, extracurricular programming and a support system.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s one of those things where, sometimes you have to pinch yourself, because you don\u2019t even realize it\u2019s happening while you\u2019re doing it,\u201d Prinstein said.<\/p>\n

Idea becomes reality<\/strong><\/p>\n

Baseball has been a constant in Prinstein\u2019s life. He played in college and professionally, transitioned into coaching and climbed the scouting ranks with several Major League Baseball franchises. He\u2019s now a major league scout for the Cincinnati Reds.<\/p>\n

The idea of International Stars was brainstormed while playing and coaching overseas. Prinstein, the organization\u2019s executive director, was hosting clinics in Hungary for kids who were unfamiliar with baseball and wanted to create a similar program upon returning home to study at Detroit Mercy Law.<\/p>\n

Michigan\u2019s climate prevents year-round baseball outdoors, and it doesn\u2019t help that facilities and resources available to children in inner cities are lacking, says Prinstein. He experienced this firsthand as a law student from 2008-12, having to train for his professional season at the Boll Family YMCA.<\/p>\n

During his training, Prinstein met Larry White, a maintenance worker at the downtown Detroit facility and youth sports coach, who agreed to help make his vision a reality. The two teamed up to host free winter-long baseball clinics at the Boll Family YMCA for children in Detroit.<\/p>\n

The turnout was great, Prinstein said, and the next step became obvious: Explore creating a youth team consisting of children who participated in the clinics.<\/p>\n

In the summer of 2013, International Stars fielded its first team in the Detroit Police Academy League (PAL) and MLB\u2019s Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) league.<\/p>\n

\u201cBaseball is just really not played in the inner city. And this became a passion of mine back in 2010-11,\u201d Prinstein said. \u201cI became really hyper-focused on seeing if we can get more kids in Detroit to play baseball and become more familiar with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wanting something more<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"Prinstein admits he has never been one to sit still. During his seven-year professional playing career, which featured stops in Belgium, Israel, Australia and the Netherlands, Prinstein insisted on staying busy. He coached on the side and worked for MLB\u2019s Houston Astros and Baltimore Orioles as a European scout.<\/p>\n

But he felt there was something missing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI noticed very early on that I\u2019m not going to be able to pitch all year round. I tried playing winter ball and I just felt like there was something missing from my year,\u201d Prinstein said. \u201cIf I\u2019m playing ball all year, I wanted to have an opportunity to elevate my mind and work on a different part of my personal growth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Prinstein settled on studying law and wanted to find a school that would accommodate his busy schedule.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, the condition was I would go to that law school if they understood I had a professional baseball career,\u201d he said. \u201cSo that means coming in late after the semester started and leaving early for spring training.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only one that was OK with that was Detroit Mercy. I definitely respect that they let me do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

There was also a family connection for Prinstein; his father, Jay Prinstein \u201973, earned a bachelor\u2019s degree at the University.<\/p>\n

Prinstein compared his setup \u2014 balancing a professional baseball playing and scouting career and law school \u2014 to having two full-time jobs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a pretty interesting setup where I\u2019d take my exams proctored overseas and come late. It was hard; there\u2019s no way around it. I\u2019m training at 6 a.m. in the morning, then going to class and coming back and training some more and doing law school work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though Prinstein doesn\u2019t practice law, he says his experience at Detroit Mercy has been helpful as he follows his passions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe tools I learned in law school definitely helped me in my career in baseball and in running a nonprofit. I do so much paperwork on the legal side of things,\u201d Prinstein said. \u201cThe way I think strategically, these are a lot of the skill sets I developed through my education at Detroit Mercy Law.\u201d<\/p>\n

Climbing the ranks of professional baseball<\/strong><\/p>\n

Shortly after earning his law degree at Detroit Mercy, Prinstein\u2019s baseball career received a big boost when he was hired by the Baltimore Orioles to be the organization\u2019s supervisor of Europe.<\/p>\n

Another promotion soon followed: Prinstein was elevated to a major league scouting role with the Orioles at the conclusion of his playing career.<\/p>\n

As a major league scout, Prinstein evaluated players across multiple levels of baseball to help the Orioles in free agency and trades. He also provided advance scouting as the organization prepared for upcoming opponents, including the 2014 postseason matchup against his hometown Detroit Tigers.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a pretty serious job,\u201d Prinstein said.<\/p>\n

This past winter, after eight seasons with the Orioles, Prinstein returned to the Midwest, joining the Cincinnati Reds as an international crosschecker. He works with scouts in the Reds organization who are located around the world and evaluates players based on their recommendations.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sort of like a conduit between the area scout and the front office,\u201d Prinstein said. \u201cI\u2019m in charge of some territories, but it\u2019s more just making sure that the area scouts, what they\u2019re saying checks out. I have a director above me in the front office in Cincinnati and he\u2019s basically making the final decision on players, but when I go out on the road, I\u2019m sort of like his eyes and ears.\u201d<\/p>\n

Having an impact<\/strong><\/p>\n

Prinstein\u2019s professional baseball career has taken him across the world, but his heart remains in Detroit with International Stars.<\/p>\n

The organization just completed its ninth year hosting winter baseball clinics. It has fielded multiple teams to compete in spring, summer and fall youth leagues since 2013, and Prinstein and his team help Detroit elementary schools implement baseball programming in physical education classes.<\/p>\n

Prinstein hopes to one day develop a year-round complex in Detroit for International Stars to extend their time with the children they\u2019re impacting. There\u2019s also a global arm of the organization, which helps international athletes pursue collegiate baseball opportunities through showcases and tournaments.<\/p>\n

However, the COVID-19 pandemic has halted these initiatives. A timeline for resumption is unknown.<\/p>\n

Most of the long-term plan for International Stars remains intact, Prinstein said. They\u2019re still fundraising to build the complex, and plan on returning to programming when deemed safe and appropriate.<\/p>\n

But for now, the team has gone digital, providing baseball lessons and support through social media platforms Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a> and YouTube<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur work is just beginning in these challenging times that lay ahead,\u201d Prinstein said.<\/p>\n

Baseball is more than a game to Prinstein. It helped him get an education, opened professional doors and empowered him to become a mentor. He sees first-hand how the children in International Stars programming use it as a \u201cvehicle\u201d to a better future, and is thankful to be able to have a positive impact.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is sort of what I\u2019m looking to provide with the academy, and I think, even if we help just one kid and change one kid\u2019s life, it\u2019s worth it,\u201d Prinstein said. \u201cAnd we\u2019ve already changed so many. It makes us encouraged to keep going with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

To learn more about International Stars, visit isbaseball.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2014\u202fBy\u00a0Ricky Lindsay<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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