Photo By Janecze Wright | Forrest Snow, mobile program manager for Mariners Training Centers, EL1 Sports, and...... read more read more
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FORT CAVAZOS, Texas — MLB made its way to the Great Place in the form of a special baseball/softball clinic for youth.
The Fort Cavazos Child and Youth Services program, in collaboration with the MLB Players Alumni Association and EL1 Sports, hosted a free clinic for youngsters June 1 at Phantom Warrior Stadium.
The event was part of EL1’s Play Ball initiative to encourage young people and communities to engage in baseball- and softball-related activities worldwide. Play Ball events demonstrate the positive way the game can serve as an outlet for physical activity.
“The main mission of EL1 Sports and the Play Ball initiative is equitable access for baseball and softball,” explained Forrest Snow, mobile program manager for Mariners Training Centers, EL1 Sports, and former MLB player. “There’s a lot of places in the country where kids just don’t have the access to the same resources, the same coaching, the same awesome events like this, so we try to spread the love as much as we can.”
Snow played MLB for a decade and was excited to bring his experience and energy for the game back to the younger generations.
“We want to make sure at the younger ages that these kids can understand how to move properly. They can learn fundamentals naturally and build them through instinct and the fun quickness of the game,” he said.
Command Sgt. Maj. Calvin Hall, U.S. Army Garrison-Fort Cavazos command sergeant major, said the event was a great opportunity to introduce youth to baseball and connect with their peers.
“Anytime we can do some physical activities and get them outside is always good,” he said. “It’s important for the kids to learn the basic fundamentals, and why not learn it from the ones that have made it up to the Major League Baseball level?
“Every last one of them has the opportunity to play Major League Baseball, but it has to start somewhere, so why not start here at the Great Place?” Hall continued.
Snow guided more than 60 youths through a series of warm-up drills and stretches before dividing them into groups to rotate through different skills stations on the field.
MLB alumni players and CYS volunteers coached the youngsters as they participated at various stations focusing on specific skills.
Youth practiced proper catching and throwing techniques pitching a ball into a net at the throwing station.
They honed their skills and moved their feet, scooping ground balls and grabbing fly balls at the defensive station.
Six tees set up at the hitting station allowed youngsters to swing for the fences as they polished their hitting technique.
The quick-ball stations allowed the pint-sized players to use their combined skills in a scrimmage game against their peers.
“They need this,” expressed Jelixza Alustiza, as she watched her 10-year-old daughter Aloanys Franco, an avid baseball fan who couldn’t wait to participate in the clinic. “If they don’t have things like this, they don’t get to make new friends that have the same interests. So, it’s very important.
“They share with other military kids; they meet new people. It’s great!” Alustiza added.
Brittany Cox agreed.
“They’ve learned fundamentals of a sport that they wouldn’t without the clinic, so it’s great,” she said. “Stuff like this makes the Great Place great.”
She said she was grateful for the opportunity to introduce her four-year-old stepson Zachariah Crowder to the sport at such an early age.
“This is the first time we’ve had MLB on Fort Cavazos, and it’s a great turnout,” said Vickie Jackson, youth sports and fitness director, Fort Cavazos CYS.
“It speaks volumes about the quality of life for kids because they know that people care about them when they come back and give to the military community,” she said. “It’s just awesome to get them to experience this kind of clinic, and, hopefully, they’ll continue to play baseball.”
For more information on future events, contact Fort Cavazos CYS at 254-288-3770. For more information about the Play Ball initiative, visit www.playball.org.
| Date Taken: | 06.06.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 06.21.2024 10:54 |
| Story ID: | 473755 |
| Location: | FORT CAVAZOS, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 23 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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