By Rick Assad
It could be argued that the best time in a person’s life is when they’re young and full of joy and excitement to learn and play a sport.
For forty young girls between six and 14 years old who recently attended the John Burroughs Future Stars Softball Camp at Olive Park, which began in 2012 and was held in conjunction with the Burbank Parks and Recreation Department, they took their first step in that direction.
There were two divisions, and they included the Young Guns from six through 10 and the Super Stars for youngsters 11 through 14.
Longtime Burroughs coach Doug Nicol oversaw the camps and was assisted by twenty players who acted as mentors and several coaches including Katie Taix, who is the associate head coach of the Bears.
The purpose of the camp is to teach players the fundamentals of the game, and to work on all aspects of softball,” he said. “Hitting, pitching, catching, baserunning and techniques that will help them skills wise on the field.”
There’s more than that at the camp for the youngsters.
“However, it is more than that as well. We also talk about the mental part of the game and try to focus on what it’ll take for them to get to the next level in high school, and then after that to college,” Nicol added. “At Burroughs we have sent so many kids to play college softball and we currently have many playing in college and many from this year’s team going to play as well.”
Nicol went on: “For a young player, not even in high school, to be able to work with kids like that is super important for them because they see what it takes,” he said. “They also love working with our current players, who act as camp mentors, because most of them come to our games and support us so it is a great way to get to know the players on another level.”
While these camps are for the youngsters, Nicol and his staff are learning as well.
“I am lucky that I have the best and most dedicated coaching staff in all of Southern California. All eight of my coaches participated and it was so awesome to watch them all add their expertise to the camp,” he said. “For our coaching staff, it is an opportunity to give back to the community. We have such a supportive community that comes to our games and supports us, so to be able to give back is really nice.
Nicol continued: “Also, many of these campers will end up at Burroughs as players, so it gives us a chance to get to know them and show them how we do things at Burroughs,” he stated. “We pride ourselves on this camp being 100 percent about softball and working hard, so these kids get the chance to see the hard work that is required to get to the next level. For us coaches, getting those “thank you’s” and hugs at the end of the camp makes it all worthwhile. This year’s campers were so enthusiastic and fun. It was a great week of softball.”
While the campers had fun during the week, they were there for a purpose.
“We try to impart on all the campers the hard work and hours of dedication that is needed to be a solid softball player,” Nicol pointed out. “We worked them hard and pushed them hard during the camp, and they really responded this year. It was a fantastic group that embraced it all.”
Nicol went on: “It was so impressive to watch them improve with each drill and with each day. We want them to know that the most important thing they can do is just the simple things well and to not make the game of softball any harder than it is,” he explained. “It really comes down to just being able to do the fundamentals and simple things well. Playing catch. Making contact. Running and playing hard and smart. Having fun. Just do the simple things well and the hard things will get easier if you put in the work. We just try to break it down into those simple terms and it has been effective for us in running a great camp.”
Sports can teach valuable lessons and being a camper offers this firsthand.
“They learn so many lessons aside from softball. Playing youth sports, and in this camp specifically softball, teaches you the importance of hard work, dedication and learning how to work as a team,” Nicol stated. “Those are skills they will take with them for the rest of their lives. We also stress and talk about the importance of being good students in school and to have a growth mindset and always believe in yourself and your ability.”
Nicol added: “These are all skills and a confidence that they will hopefully take with them from our camp and back to the softball fields, and in their lives as well,” he said.
Taix, who attended Alverno High in Pasadena where she pitched and played third base, is also the Burroughs’ pitching coach.
“I truly believe that youth camps are a great way to get the entire Burbank community together. We had girls from a variety of different schools all coming together for the love of the game,” she said of the five day camp. “Coach Doug did a fantastic job putting on this camp for the community. I was able to work with the young girls this year, and we had so much talent in that group. I’m really excited for the future with all Burbank softball.”
Taix, who later attended College of the Canyons where she pitched and was All Western State Conference and was coached by Nicol from nine to 17 years old and starred on the Lady Legends, knows the game.
“My philosophy with camps is to learn something new, ask questions, and have fun. Our girls worked hard and had a blast,” she stated. “Coach Doug tried to teach them as much as he could in five days. Coach Doug taught them a glove trick when receiving a grounder. That night at Olive, I saw three campers go to the field and work on that trick. It is really cool to see how much these girls want to learn, and how much Coach Doug and our staff want to teach them.”
The love of the game matters, but as one gets older and better and plays at a higher level, the love of the game should still be there.
“The benefit of this camp is getting a little taste of what it’s like to work hard, to learn, and to get better in five days,” Taix said. “I believe every kid at this camp got better. I hope it lights a fire in them to want to keep working this summer. The grind should never stop if you want to get better. I hope that this camp taught them that.”
Nicol also reminds the campers that enjoying the game is equally important.
“We mention this a lot at the camp. These girls start playing the game because it is fun, and it is important for them to keep that joy for the game when they are playing,” he said. “Even at Burroughs, we stress all the time that the game should be fun and when they take the field, they should continue to have fun. If you have ever seen our girls at Burroughs play, you can see that they have fun playing the game.”
Nicol continued: “We try to bring that same joy to our camp. That is a big emphasis at our Future Stars camp and our coaches do a great job of always mentioning drills and team activities to keep having fun while playing the game,” he acknowledged. “Watching our campers have fun during drills and team activities and watching those smiling faces always brings a lot of joy to myself and the coaching staff. It makes all those days in the hot sun worth it to see them all having such a great time learning the game.”
