Camp Schedule
The 2008 B-W Baseball Holiday Skills Camp will be held from Monday, December 29, to Wednesday, December 31, in the Lou Higgins Center. Campers aged 9–11 will meet from 9 a.m. to noon and campers aged 12–16 will meet from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Both age groups will follow a similar practice plan that is tailored for each group’s skill level and designed to help young ballplayers learn the fundamentals of baseball in a fun, well-supervised environment. Campers will be coached in small groups and one-on-one as they participate in a variety of action-packed drills and practice routines.
Dugout Meeting
Each session of the Skills Camp begins at the “dugout meeting,” where campers will be introduced to the camp staff and get to know their fellow campers.
Campers will also be introduced to the fundamental skills of baseball, and our instructors will present a new phase of the game every day after reviewing the previous day’s lesson.
Following the dugout meeting, the camp staff will lead the campers through a thorough warm-up routine, including stretching, calisthenics, light running and, of course, a good game of catch.
Station Drills
Station drills give each camper a chance to learn a wide variety of skills under the close supervision of Skills Camp instructors and B-W baseball players. Campers will rotate between five stations that feature different facets of hitting and fielding.
Live Batting Practice: Campers will work on their hitting technique against live pitching in one of our full-size batting cages.
Live Bunting Practice: Campers will work on their bunting technique against live pitching in another one of our full-size batting cages. Instructors will emphasize the lost art of sacrifice bunting and introduce the base-hit and drag bunts.
Batting Tees & Soft Toss: Campers will concentrate on their swing mechanics and on making good contact to all fields using our batting tees and soft toss nets.
Fielding Drills: Campers will practice their footwork, fielding and throwing mechanics by taking lots of ground balls and joining in drills like “wall ball,” “hot box” and the three-man drill.
Outfield Drills: Campers will learn the specialized skills of outfield play like defensive positioning, going back on the ball, communication between fielders and throwing accurately to relay and cutoff men.
Position Practice
After station drills, campers will break into small groups to practice their favorite positions. B-W baseball players will lead each group, sharing their experiences with the campers and teaching them the finer points of playing their positions. Campers can choose a new position to try each day.
Pitchers: Pitchers will learn how to warm-up properly and will concentrate on solid pitching mechanics from the wind-up and stretch positions. They will also be introduced to the two-seam and four-seam fastball and work on fielding off the mound.
Catchers: Catchers will learn the correct way to use their equipment, proper positioning and stance, giving signals, staying down when receiving pitches and framing the plate. They will work on blocking techniques, pop-up coverage and bunt defense.
Infielders: Infielders will learn proper stance and footwork as well as the glove action required to field short hops and balls to the backhand side. Middle infielders will practice their doubleplay feeds and pivots while corner infielders work on taking proper angles to the ball and fielding slow rollers and bunts.
Outfielders: Outfielders will field ground balls and fly balls to practice their footwork, glove positioning and throwing mechanics. Their drills will focus on outfield teamwork, including calling the ball, backing up plays and hitting the cutoff man.
Wrap-Up
The end-of-session wrap-up gives the Skills Camp staff an opportunity to review the day’s lessons for the campers and gives the campers an important opportunity to ask questions of their instructors. Before the staff breaks camp for the day, they will preview the practice plan for the next session.
At the final wrap-up, campers and their parents will enjoy a certificate ceremony where campers will be recognized for their participation in the B-W Baseball Holiday Skills Camp and parents will get some helpful coaching tips.