Ex-Baseball Players Host Summer Program for Youths in Bloomington

In Bloomington, Indiana, a summer program for youths is underway, courtesy of two retired professional baseball players, Dan Held and Hall of Famer Scott Rolen. The 2025 season has officially kicked off, and these former players are eager to provide young athletes with an unforgettable experience.

"This is different than travel ball; travel ball is one of those things where you go to the field play the tournaments and go home. This is different, this is where we capture them completely and they have experiences other than just playing a tournament."

Dan Held, co-founder of E5 Baseball Campfire Tournaments, explained that their program focuses on providing a unique experience for players and their families, unlike traditional travel ball. The tournaments take place at a 115-acre retreat near Lake Monroe, featuring four log cabins decorated to represent the teams Scott Rolen played for: the Cardinals, Phillies, Reds, and Blue Jays.

"We have four log cabins. They symbolize the four teams that Scott played for: the Cardinals, Phillies, Reds and Blue Jays. Each cabin is decorated all up into those teams and each team stays in a cabin for the weekend and represents each one of those teams throughout the tournament."

However, the actual games are only a small part of the weekend. The program also focuses on creating memories with friends and family through activities like fishing, hiking, or making s'mores.The retreat includes Tyler's Tree House, a 3,000-square-foot secluded tree house featuring slides, a fire pole, scenic overlooks, a petting zoo, a fire pit, and more. Additionally, a portion of the proceeds from the tournaments goes to benefit Rolen's E5 Foundation, which provides families facing hardship with time at the retreat.Held emphasized that their friendship started when they were minor league players in the Philadelphia Phillies organization. Held spent 14 years in professional baseball as a player and coach before retiring and moving to Indiana to take over the Indiana Bulls organization, a position he still holds today.

"This is what Scott, and I are about. We're just two Midwest guys — he's from Jasper, I'm from Wisconsin — who wound up playing together in pro ball and are still close."

Now, Held and Rolen are passing on their love of baseball, family, and friends one game at a time, providing youths with an unforgettable summer experience.