History

The BASE was founded in 2013 by Robert Lewis, Jr., building on his 40 years of experience coaching and leading the Boston Astros baseball team. Mr. Lewis first began coaching a group of young men in the Villa Victoria community in Boston’s South End in 1978, with only a handful of players. Over four decades, the program grew and achieved great success, and hundreds of young men and women have represented the Astros in countless games and tournaments. Today, The BASE extends the powerful culture and foundation of the Astros to more young people than ever.

Over the years, the formula has been consistent – hard work, belief, teamwork, and success. From the Villa Victoria Astros in 1978, to the South End Astros in 1987; eventually becoming the Boston Astros, who would go on to win the Triple Crown Sports Championship crown in 2010, and be named the TCS Team of the Year in 2012, besting 40,000 baseball teams from across the country.

The program has grown and evolved, but at its core, it has not changed. The key is, it was never just about baseball – from its inception, the Astros program was focused on developing and highlighting Urban Talent and leading young people to success in academics, careers, health, and life.

In 2013, Robert launched the BASE to shift the national mindset about what it takes for urban youth to succeed. Serving boys and girls, The BASE leverages their passion for sports and surrounds them in a culture of hard work, belief, and love, while providing access to opportunities. The BASE creates pathways to higher education and meaningful careers through scholarships, academic support, and internships.

Opened in 2019, our state-of-the-art National Headquarters in Roxbury’s Newmarket Square enables programming and services to further expand, with an emphasis on overall health and wellness of our young people, their families, and our community.