Smiles were met with plenty of enthusiasm during the 19th annual Evening with the CarStar Braves Baseball Clinic.
Approximately 35 kids aged seven-15 spent Friday evening working on their skills with the U18 AAA CarStar Braves at Great Chief Park.
The event was originally planned for earlier in the week but it was cancelled after the City of Red Deer closed the diamonds due to poor weather conditions.
Braves head coach Josh Zanolli said this event is a big deal for the Braves and for Red Deer Minor Baseball every year.
“It’s a great experience for the players. It’s a good way for them to give back to the association and the kids have a lot of fun,” he said.
“We’ve got quite a collection of players this year. Some have been here right from their start when they were this age and some are new this year. Everyone comes together and they all have fun with it.”
Participants learned the basic fundamentals of the game including hitting, fielding, throwing, and running the bases.
Zanolli added this event helps keep the younger players involved in the game who attend and benefit the programs.
“I think there’s a kid that’s been here every year for the last four years. So, you see kids that show up every year to come to this thing and they look forward to it,” he said.
Some of the current CarStar Braves players attended the clinic as youngsters. The main goal is to have fun and the Braves hope that encourages the kids to continue to play the sport.
“You hope you get some interest from the group and they stay with it… For us, it’s one evening of our year and it’s easy for us to do it,” he said.
“Lots of these kids will just look forward to the signatures, hanging out, and meeting the players… It’s a great way for us to give back.”
The CarStar Braves are currently in the top spot of the Baseball Alberta Elite League standings with a 15-4 record at the season’s halfway point.
Zanolli is satisfied with their record but doesn’t believe they’ve played their best baseball quite yet.
“I still think there’s more. There’s a group of guys that need to pick it up a bit for us but our results have been there. We’ve found ways to win some games,” he said.
“We’ve had two wins the last few weeks that we’ve been down seven or eight runs and found a way to win… If we’re going to be legitimate contenders at provincials we need to be a bit cleaner with the way we’re playing.”
The CarStar Braves also found out some big news on Friday.
From July 27-30 they’ll host the U18 AAA BAEL provincial championships at Great Chief Park.
“It should give us a bit of a competitive advantage we hope. We like playing here it’s a big field and it’s always in good condition,” he said.
“We’re excited about having teams come here.”
centralalbertaLocal SportsRedDeer
The U18 AAA Red Deer CarStar Braves held the 19th annual Evening with the CarStar Braves at Great Chief Park on Friday. (Photo by Ian Gustafson/ Advocate staff)
