The James S. Kunzman Foundation (JSKF) will host a completely free youth baseball and softball camp at New Mexico Military Institute (NMMI) in Roswell, New Mexico, on Saturday and Sunday, November 14 and 15, 2026. Over 150 kids are registered to attend the camp, with an anticipated turnout of 300+ for Sunday's closing community celebration and pizza party. It is JSKF's second free camp, following its inaugural camp in Albuquerque's South Valley iearlier this year.
Key takeaways:
- The camp is free and takes place Saturday, November 14 and Sunday, November 15, 2026, at the NMMI Baseball Field in Roswell.
- 159 children ages 7 to 13 are registered, and about 300 people are expected for Sunday's community celebration.
- Every camper gets instruction, mentorship, a free T-shirt, and snacks and meals both days. The weekend ends with a free community pizza party.
- Coaches and student-athletes from NMMI, Goddard High School, and Roswell High School are leading the camp, with Lions Hondo and Noon Optimist Little Leagues taking part.
- Roswell holds a personal place in the foundation's story: it is where Sam Kunzman's late father, Jim Kunzman, spent his middle school years.
JSKF is bringing local schools, Little Leagues, coaches, student-athletes, and volunteers together for a weekend devoted to Roswell's kids. The camp is built for children of all skill levels, and nobody pays to take part. Campers will get hands-on instruction, mentorship from older players and coaches, a free T-shirt, and snacks and meals on both days.The weekend wraps up Sunday with a community day pizza party for campers, families, and volunteers.
Saturday, November 14: Youth Instruction
- 8:15 am: Check-in begins for ages 7 to 10
- 9 am to noon: Ages 7 to 10 camp programming
- Noon to 1 pm: Lunch
- 12:15 to 12:45 pm: Check-in for ages 11 to 13
- 1 to 4 pm: Ages 11 to 13 camp programming
Sunday, November 15: All-Camp Activities and Community Celebration
- 9 to 9:30 am: All-camp check-in
- 9:30 am to noon: Welcome, instruction, and activities
- Noon to 12:30 pm: Remarks and community gathering
- 12:30 to 2 pm: Free community day pizza party
Location: New Mexico Military Institute Baseball Field, Roswell, New Mexico. All times are Mountain Standard Time.
For Sam Kunzman, JSKF's president and founder, bringing the foundation to Roswell is personal. His late father, James S. "Jim" Kunzman, spent his middle school years in the city and never lost his affection for it. Whenever the family came back during Sam's childhood, Jim would take his two sons around the places where he grew up."He was so proud, and my brother and I were so bored," Kunzman recalled with a laugh. "Now, bringing a camp with his name on it to Roswell, I understand those trips very differently. Those were his roots, and he wanted us to know them."
Jim also loved telling the story of Roswell's 1956 Little League World Series champions, whose title remains New Mexico's only Little League Baseball World Series win. Seventy years later, Lions Hondo Little League is among the camp's participating organizations, alongside Noon Optimist Little League."To have Lions Hondo involved in a camp honoring him, in the town he was so proud of, means a tremendous amount to our family," Kunzman said. "Now another generation of Roswell kids gets to make its own memories around the game."Want the history? See the Albuquerque Journal's coverage of Roswell's 70th anniversary celebration of that title.
Roswell's organizing effort has been led by Devin Hubbard, assistant baseball coach at NMMI, who brought together coaches, student-athletes, Little Leagues, booster clubs, and volunteers. "Devin Hubbard deserves enormous credit for making this happen," Kunzman said. "He took ownership, brought people together and put in the work to give 159 children this opportunity."Hubbard says the weekend is about paying it forward. "We're not worried about which school somebody attends or what uniform they wear," he said. "We're here for the kids. If they leave this weekend feeling more confident, having made some new friends and knowing their community cares about them, then we've accomplished something special."
JSKF thanks the following organizations and individuals for making the weekend possible.
New Mexico Military Institute Baseball
- Head Coach Chris Cook
- Athletic Director Jose Barron
- Assistant Coaches Scott Barnum, Gaylan Young, Daniel Fuentes, and Devin Hubbard
- Athletic Trainer John Carpenter
- Photographer and videographer Brody Wood
Goddard High School Baseball
- Head Coach Gilbert Alvarado
- Coaches Ed Henry, Gabe Campos, and Gabriel Perez Torres
Goddard High School Softball
- Head Coach Val Manzanares
- Coaches Kika Aragon, Alyssa Linares, and Gabe Longoria
Roswell High School Baseball
- Head Coach T.C. Nusser
- Coaches Derek Farmer and Danny Secreast
Roswell High School Softball
- Head Coach Savino Sanchez
- Coach McKenzie Patterson
Local Little Leagues
- Lions Hondo Little League
- Noon Optimist Little League
Booster clubs and community volunteers
- Beth Wakefield and Jennifer Seely, Goddard Booster Club
- Kaci Rodriguez, Roswell Booster Club
- Additional participating coaches, student-athletes, families, and community volunteers
JSKF was established in Jim Kunzman's honor to keep kids in baseball and softball by lowering the financial barriers that increasingly decide who gets to play. Through equipment donations, fee assistance, free camps, and local partnerships, it aims to give children access not only to the game, but to the friendships, responsibility, and sense of belonging that grow around it."America's pastime should be a rite of passage for every child," Kunzman said. "My dad believed every boy and girl deserved a chance to play." And the mission, in his words: "Baseball and softball are our mission. Community building is our purpose."In less than a year, JSKF has made equipment donations meant to last multiple seasons across New Mexico and Colorado, including its first gift to Belen Little League, a gift to Westgate Little League in Albuquerque, and a gift to Runyon Sports Complex in Pueblo, Colorado. Its first free camp drew about 100 kids in Albuquerque this summer. Read about it in JSKF's Free Baseball and Softball Camp Draws About 100 Kids in Albuquerque.
News, sports, and community reporters, photographers, and television crews are invited to cover both days. Saturday offers a chance to see young campers learning from college and high school coaches and players. Sunday's celebration brings campers, families, coaches, and community members together for remarks, photos, and the pizza party. Interviews with JSKF representatives, local organizers, and participating coaches can be arranged in advance. Contact the foundation at info@kunzmanfoundation.org.
When and where is the JSKF Roswell camp?
Saturday, November 14 and Sunday, November 15, 2026, at the New Mexico Military Institute Baseball Field in Roswell, New Mexico.
Who can attend the camp?
The camp is for boys and girls ages 7 to 13. Ages 7 to 10 and ages 11 to 13 have separate sessions on Saturday, and everyone comes together on Sunday. 159 children are registered.
How much does the camp cost?
Nothing. The camp is completely free, and campers also get a free T-shirt, snacks, and meals on both days.
What happens on Sunday?
Sunday brings all campers together for instruction and activities, remarks and a community gathering at noon, and a free community day pizza party from 12:30 to 2 p.m.
Who is running the camp?
JSKF is hosting, and local coaches and student-athletes from NMMI, Goddard High School, and Roswell High School are leading it. Devin Hubbard, NMMI assistant baseball coach, headed the local organizing effort. Lions Hondo and Noon Optimist Little Leagues are taking part.
Is this JSKF's first camp?
No. It is the foundation's second free camp, following its inaugural camp for 100 registered children in Albuquerque's South Valley in July.
What is the James S. Kunzman Foundation?
JSKF is a New Mexico-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in honor of James S. "Jim" Kunzman. It helps keep children in baseball and softball by funding equipment built to last multiple seasons, helping offset participation fees, supporting local leagues, and organizing free camps.
Source: James S. Kunzman Foundation press release, November 9, 2026.
Reporting: KRQE News 13 (Fallon Fischer, July 2026).
