Helping hand
The skies were overcast.
Things were nothing but bright on the field.
The Butler BlueSox hosted their first-ever youth baseball clinic Monday at Kelly Automotive Park. Numerous BlueSox players and coaches worked with 58 youths ages 5 to 15.
“When we first decided to do this, I was figuring we'd get maybe 20 kids or so,” BlueSox manager Anthony Rebyanski said. “To get nearly triple that many is amazing.
“We had 33 registered for the original date (July 18) of the clinic, but weather forced us to postpone. That enabled us to pick up all of these extra kids.”
Fee was $30 to participate in the clinic, with all of the money going back into the BlueSox organization. Kids showed up from all over the county, ranging from Portersville to East Brady, Renfrew to Boyers.
Approximately 12 BlueSox players volunteered their time to work the clinic. They worked different stations and gave the kids tips on hitting, pitching, catching, fielding and base running.
“I never force the players to do anything,” Rebyanski said. “It's all volunteer. They have to want to be here. Otherwise, they're not going to put full effort into it.”
Infielder Ryan Uhl recalled going to a youth baseball clinic at St. Bonaventure when he was a kid and “having a blast.”
“Coming out and spending the day with kids ... What can be more fun than that?,” Uhl said. “This feels great. The kids are awesome.”
Russell Clark is the BlueSox' everyday catcher. He volunteered to work the clinic as well.
“I've worked a couple in college (University of Cincinnati) and one in high school,” Clark said. “If you can help a kid learn baseball, it's worth it.
“These kids want to learn the game. We see a lot of them in the stands at our games, so that's cool, too.”
Rebyanski said his players have been good at interacting with kids all season long.
“They always stay after and sign autographs and some of our players will come back out and run the bases with the kids after the game,” he said. “They get it. To some of the younger kids here, it's as if these guys play for the Yankees or Pirates. That's how they view them.”
Cody Herald recalled playing baseball for East Butler as a young kid and approaching older players to talk about the game.
“I wanted to pick up on some things they knew about baseball,” Herald said. “Being out here with these kids, sharing the game that they love and we love, there's nowhere I'd rather be.”
Fellow Butler product Mick Fennell attended his father's (former Butler High coach Jay Fennell) clinic when he was a kid and now serves as one of its instructors.
“I've learned baseball. I'm here today because it's my turn to teach baseball,” Fennell said.
Rebyanski and BlueSox general manager Matt Cunningham said they plan to make the clinic an annual event.
“Other teams in the (Prospect) league do it and I was with a team in the Coastal Plains League that did a clinic like this for seven or eight weeks,” Rebyanski said. “The goal is a simple one. If every kid leaves here today knowing one more thing about baseball than they did before, it was worth our while.”
