SAN CRISTOBAL, Dominican Republic.- Living in a high quality hotel and school 6 days a week, 10 months of the year, boys from the Dominican Republic and Latin America practice baseball.

At the San Diego Padre's Baseball Academy, tucked away outside of San Cristobal, these boys learn more than just baseball. Giving these boys 16.5 years old and older an opportunity to develop in many ways, the academy gives the players found by scouts a rounded education.

They spend a few hours a day practicing baseball and then they go to their other classes. English and computer skills are two of the main curriculums taught in order to make a submersion into American culture easier when they get signed on with a team, the ultimate goal.

Following the players around during practice, meals, classes, and down time, they show those who normally cannot get a glimpse of what goes on in the academies a closer look.

Photojournalist Christine Armbruster captured all these images (see gallery)in one day at the Padres’ farm team academy.