Boys of summer staying sharp in winter

In the last few weeks, Valley Stream residents have seen snow, sub-freezing temperatures and plenty of rain — not quite the ideal baseball weather. But players and coaches in the Valley Stream Little League have moved their practices indoors for the late-fall and winter, to offer baseball year round.

From October through March, kids as young as 4 are getting some baseball practice in and sharpening their skills inside the James A. Dever gymnasium on Tuesday nights.

First-year President Steve Baez said the winter clinics have been fun for all, due in large part to parents and coaches volunteering their time to run practices. “This year we’ve had an overwhelming amount of coaches who have come down and helped out,” he said. “It’s kept the clinic running very smoothly and it gives us an ability to break the kids down into smaller groups.”

There are about 15 weeks of clinics held from October through March with two one-hour sessions divided by age groups. The first session has kids from ages 4 to 8 while the second session hosts kids ages 9 and up. Each session focuses on different drills and activities that are age-appropriate.

In the first session, in which kids from the cub and farm divisions attend, the young ball players get a chance to take some swings against a live pitcher. However, the pitcher is a coach and they’re swinging a wiffle ball bat. Since the practice is indoors, it’s the only type of ball and bat they can use.

Daniel Banach, a 7-year-old who’s a first-grader at Dever, said he likes playing first base, but hitting is his favorite part of the clinics. His dad, Jonathan, is a coach in the league and helps run the weekly clinics.

During the last practice of December, Jonathan Banach was pitching to each of the kids in attendance while Baez caught. When the kids made contact they would run the bases like they would on a real diamond.

Banach said the clinics are good practice for the kids, keeping them sharp for the upcoming season. As a coach for the last three years, he said the experience has been great. “It’s been very rewarding, good exercise and I get to be with my son and the other kids as well,” he said. “I would do it even if my son wasn’t in the league.”