Spring training hits home run

This past May, Exploits Minor Baseball offered spring training like professional big league clubs and produced big time results for their summer program.

Enrollment for the program that runs seven days a week for eight weeks has past 115 and Exploits Minor Baseball President Craig Tulk is expecting that number to rise.

"There are still a lot of people on vacation that usually register when they come back. We don't have everyone we are anticipating yet, so we are quite pleased." said Tulk. "We've had a real strong growth in our younger ages and we find a lot of people are benefiting from playing minor baseball."

The spring program was intended to encourage new players to take part in the summer program and enable the usual participants to get a head start.

The program now hosts five levels of players, not including a midget level which has yet to materialize from the numbers in the program.

"Right now we're working on that - to try and encourage some of those players to play, at least get together and practice for the provincials, because right now there is only one tournament for midget in the entire province."

Steve White is in his third year as co-ordinator for the program and has over 20 years of coaching experience in baseball.

The primary school teacher said each year has been a challenge, but this year is expected to be better because each group has grown in numbers. To help ensure the kids are getting to take advantage of what the program has to offer, White said dividing the players helps.

"We're trying to separate the younger group into two groups where we have 4-6 and then 7-to-8-year-olds and the past couple of years we have had that group together," he said. "They enjoy playing games. We do have skill days where we'll set up stations, maybe four or five, and we'll go through hitting, again, trying to reinforce the proper technique."

White says he has goals when he starts the program every year and they tend to mirror his goals as a teacher throughout the school year.

"I want to be able to teach them to play baseball so they can enjoy the game and increase their skill level to their own potential," he said. "I'd like for the kids to always feel good about themselves. I always try to have each of the kids feel successful and, as a result of that, to have fun when they come to the baseball field."

It will be a filled summer for the program as they host the mosquito AA provincial championship Aug. 11 and the peewee AA on July 30. They are also trying to host a mosquito-peewee invitational tournament at the end of the month.

"We also offer two evening sessions as well for more game situations which parents and grandparents can come and watch," said Tulk. "You can definitely keep them busy."