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MADE Coach Jonathan Pollard works to turn Stephen into a ballplayer

Charity Hop Helps MTV Get “MADE”

Agency aids in casting for hit show’s baseball episode

In 2008, MTV producers approached Charity Hop for assistance from an organization with a pulse on the sports industry in the Boston area. There was a casting need for their hit show MADE and an accomplished, enigmatic, and vibrant personality was needed to fill the role.

Charity Hop sprung to action and referred local baseball academy headman and amateur baseball star, Jonathan Pollard. MTV producers loved Pollard upon initial interviews and he was formally cast for the role.

Pollard’s mission was to help Saugus High School’s Stephen LaMonica break down sociological and familial stereotypes and transform him from quiet theatre kid into a high school baseball player. For this episode, Jonathan has been working with LaMonica, a sophomore student at Saugus High School battling with peer pressures at school and trying to step out of a looming shadow cast by his athletic father.

MTV’s hit show MADE has become known nationwide for helping to develop youngsters into something they’ve always hoped to be, but never had the outlet or confidence to do so. The show’s undertone often serves as a positive outlet to expose these kids to a world outside of their own comfort zone.

Jonathan (or JP as many know him), aside from being a standout athlete, is known as one of the most personable people on the ball field. He has the kind of presence and smile that can light up a room and was truly perfectly cast for this opportunity. JP currently runs an elite baseball academy for young ballplayers called “The Stable” with a home base at Extra Innings training facility in Woburn, MA.

On the experience, Pollard shared these thoughts, “The MADE experience has been incredible. Taking someone so raw and turning them into a ballplayer in less than 5 weeks has been so amazing to be a part of. Beyond baseball, it has been a privilege to expose Stephen to a different side of people. He has grown to abandon stereotypes and feels more accepted by his peers. It really became so much more than just baseball.”

Pollard's episode aired in April of 2008. On the date of airing, Charity Hop orchestrated a screening party in Boston for hundreds of JP’s friends and family. Furthermore, they arranged a round of media interviews for several local news outlets including an in-studio segment on the #1 rated morning talk show for MTV’s target demographic.

The episode can be viewed here: MADE | Ep. 25 | 'Baseball Player' | Stephen is made into a baseball player.

About MADE

MADE is a daytime Emmy Award-winning self-improvement reality television series broadcast on MTV. The series follows teens who wish to be "MADE" into singers, athletes, dancers, skateboarders, etc. The teens are joined by a "MADE Coach", an expert in their chosen field, who try to help them attain their goals over the course of several weeks. MADE documents the process the teens undergo as they try to achieve their goal. MADE is currently in its 10th season.


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