By Rick Assad
It’s that time of year when sports camps are popping up everywhere including the Burbank High Junior Bulldog Baseball Camp.
Youngsters aged six through 14 can register for the camps that will run in June and July. If interested, parents can register their boys and girls at www.burbankhighbaseball.org.
The age group and dates of the five-day camps are as follows: Children between six and 10 will be in camp from June 10 through June 14.
Youngsters 10 through 14 will be in the camp from June 24 through June 28.
Children six through 10 will be in camp July 8 through July 12 and youngsters 10 through 14 will be in camp July 22 through July 26.
Each day the camp will begin at 10 a.m. and run through 12:30 p.m. The price is $225.00 per session and per camper.
“The camps provide an opportunity for our players to give back to the community, display leadership skills, and mentor young players,” longtime Burbank coach Bob Hart said. “It also provides an opportunity for younger players to experience the high school baseball environment and routines to better understand the process.”
Getting an early jump on how to play baseball and master the fundamentals is an important aspect of learning how to play the game properly.
“We feel it’s important that they understand routines, expectations, and that they can work on their game and have a great time doing it,” Hart noted. “Ultimately the goal is for the players to understand that in order to be the player they wish to be, it requires commitment to the team as well as individual commitment to themselves.”
Indirectly the community also benefits from these baseball camps which aside from learning how to play the game, gives youngsters an opportunity to get outside and have fun with friends and friends-to-be.
“Interaction with the community always provides an opportunity to promote your program, but more importantly, it gives us an opportunity to go back to basics and share our love for the game.” Hart said.
One aspect of these baseball camps is that older folks who watch youngsters at play, the experience can bring back memories of why baseball is America’s national pastime and is so uniquely special.
“I think it’s because young players bring out the joy, the simplicity and the innocence of young boys and girls trying to figure it out is priceless,” Hart pointed out. “It brings me back into focus and tells me what’s really important.”
Hart reflected on how these camps began.
“I started doing these camps 20 years ago in order to elicit more excitement and involvement in a program which at that point was struggling,” he offered. “The peripheral benefit has been growth, credibility and a better understanding of what Burbank High baseball is all about. Commitment. Dedication. Personal and team growth and ultimately a great ride in the process.”
Brigette Baker Snyder is the Burbank Baseball Booster President, and while her work may go unnoticed, it’s vital and her duties are many.
“The camps provide our youth with an opportunity to begin their journey into baseball or improve their current skills,” she said. “Our campers are at the age where their goal is to play high school baseball.”
Snyder also talked about how Hart includes his players into the mix by helping him run the camps.
“Coach Hart also enlists his student-athletes to share what they have learned over the years and empowers them to become strong leaders in their community,” she said.
Still, it’s more than that for the players. It’s a chance to learn more and also be a part of the program’s fabric.
“Our high school players learn leadership skills and an opportunity to give back. Our Bulldog Baseball Program not only strives for wins on the field but for wins off the field,” Snyder said. “That is how you build a strong team. Supporting the youth in our community who want to play ball, supporting our veterans and volunteering to support adaptive sports programs.”
Snyder continued: “Coach Hart believes this is important to the growth and development of our student-athletes,” she said. “Being successful on the field takes more than just athletic ability … you have to build a team of leaders who have learned to support and respect each other.”
These camps are also there to set the building blocks in place at a young age so that they can have a successful prep career.
“They build confidence in those who participate in a supportive environment,” Snyder added.
Regardless of ability or skill, the camps provide a fun and thriving place to learn and love the game of baseball.
“At the end of the day, a kid is so excited about playing ball they can’t wait to get back on the field tomorrow … that will always make me smile,” Snyder said.
