The Rise of Ranelagh Rockets Baseball Team

Uniplay were approached by Paul Belcher, Sports Hub Director of the Tapscott Learning Trust after hearing great things about the work we had done previously at one of the Tapscott

 schools, Ranelagh Primary School in Stratford, East London.

Paul initially contacted Uniplay to ask about different options for a sports pitch he was creating alongside a huge sporting organisation, the details of which were kept secret initially. After understanding a little about the brief, our Endurance Surface Covering was proposed as an option.

Endurance is Uniplay’s own MMA cold plastic surface covering. It’s a highway grade coloured high durability surface covering which is anti-slip and long lasting. It’s ideal for areas of heavy footfall, and can be used in all weather. Endurance, unlike any paint, has been designed and developed to be used in conjunction with preformed thermoplastic, enabling us to create large coloured designs, particularly sports pitches, with the added benefit of intricate performed designs.

After our initial proposal, Paul and his colleagues were delighted with our suggestions and were then allowed to share further details of the project after completion of a non disclosure agreement.

Paul disclosed that the project he was working on was in fact for Major League Baseball (MLB) who were looking to create an initiative called First Pitch Programme involving 40 schools in London and 200 across the rest of the UK. Working with an initial trail site, MLB wanted to create a legacy following their

London Series to roll out across the UK and encourage more children to play baseball. The project involved two baseball teams from the United States coming to play in London.

After several online meetings in quick succession and further understanding of the project, Uniplay finalised designs for a baseball pitch that were approved by the MLB and the project was given sign off by Jon Rye, MLB London Series Legacy Manager, Baseball Softball UK.

The initial project in East London included a full Uniplay Endurance Baseball Court with preformed thermoplastic detail. In keeping with the MLB way, Ranelagh School named their team Ranelagh Rockets and their logo was recreated in thermoplastic to be installed with the pitch. As part of the legacy the MLB London Series logos were also included.

The installation had to be completed with stringent timescales ready for the opening festival featuring Chicago Cubs & St Louis Cardinals MLB stars from the United States.

Since the completion of the Ranelegh Rockets pitch, Uniplay have been rolled out to be the approved supplier of the London Legacy First Pitch Programme and continue to advocate Baseball in UK schools.