(A young baseball camper gets some coaching advice on ball and bat skills as he sets himself up to hit the ball set-up on the tee. Photo: Sluggerz)
Over the 2024 March break, Sluggerz (a local batting cage) hosted its annual March break baseball skills camp. The camp was held inside the Sooner’s dome located right next to French high school Paul-Desmarais off of Abbott Street. The camp welcomed 40 campers from the ages of 6-12. The camp counsellors included local AA and AAA players, along with guest counsellors from the University of Ottawa baseball team.
The camp focused on helping those new to the game develop a good base layer of knowledge for the sport and help more experienced players learn the finer points of baseball. Throughout the week campers were split up into groups accounting for age and skill level. These groups did drills and games that helped develop their skills in hitting, pitching, fielding, and much more.
In the middle of the week, the camp got a guest, University of Ottawa pitcher Lucien Bazinet. Lucien is an excellent pitcher with a fastball that can rival anyone in the U-Sports Baseball. Originally from Windsor, Lucien has always shown commitment to the sport and the dedication to figure out how to improve. He currently teaches lessons on pitching and hitting for Sluggerz year-round. During his day at the camp, he worked on pitching and hitting making sure every kid knew the proper mechanics to do everything more efficiently.
At the end of the week, the camp held a big 9-inning counsellor pitch game. Each kid got multiple at-bats and turns at all types of different positions throughout the game. The kids even got their own walk-up songs when it was their turn to step up to the plate. This game concluded a great week and demonstrated how far everyone had come in their baseball skills.
Even though the camp centered around baseball, the kids also got to play on inflatables during both the start and end of the day. After the game Friday, the campers got to play in a great Laser tag game. This kept everyone involved throughout the week and ensured kids were leaving excited about baseball, enhanced skills and not bored with the game.
Overall it was a very successful week for the camp. Sluggers will be hosting these camps throughout the summer. You can find sign-ups for the camp at their website sluggerz.ca.
