From Utah to England: Sharing Baseball Through International Education
Published: July 20, 2026 | Author: Kierstin Holloway | Read Time: 2 minutes
Tony Oliver, dean of Southern Utah University's College of Health Sciences, recently traveled to England, where he partnered with colleagues from Harlaxton College to bring baseball skills to approximately 2,500 youth at the 2026 Inspire+ Mini-Olympics.
When Kurt Harris, director of SUU Learning Abroad, informed him about the opportunity to share baseball skills with youth in England, Oliver decided to pursue it. Oliver's daughter Brooklynne was also able to join him as an instructor, sharing her over ten years of experience playing softball.
"English youth in elementary and middle schools rarely have an opportunity to receive baseball skills instruction either in their physical education classes or through organized youth sports," said Oliver.
The baseball skills station Oliver taught was one of 14 skills stations at the annual Inspire+ Mini-Olympics that, over the course of three days, served approximately 2,500 youth, with 25-40 students per group rotating through the skills stations. Due to consistent rain on the third day, outdoor baseball activities were moved to an indoor space, which was quite a challenge, but the Olivers were still able to make it fun and engaging.
"The enthusiasm, curiosity, and friendliness of the English youth were so positive," said Oliver. "They were respectful, listened, and seemed genuinely interested."
Oliver also found the experience helpful in increasing his knowledge about meaningful sport-fitness-physical-education-based initiatives occurring in other parts of the world. He hopes to be able to create more similar opportunities for T-Birds in the future.
"This experience has motivated me to collaborate with Kurt Harris and the SUU Learning Abroad team to develop a short-term learning abroad experience focused on British sport, including a multi-day stay at Harlaxton Manor," said Oliver.
About SUU's Office of Learning Abroad:
SUU's Office of Learning Abroad (OLA) facilitates opportunities for SUU students, faculty, and staff to travel and study abroad. Their vision includes enabling the entire SUU community to experience the richness of other cultures, to honor diversity, to practice empathy, and to find personal fulfillment. OLA works to foster empathy, cultural and global understanding, experiential learning, and personal enrichment in all of the university's students, faculty, and staff by providing them with these opportunities to take part in international and domestic programs.
Contact Information
Brooke Heath
435-586-5400
brookeheath1@suu.edu