Little League leader preaches the basics of baseball

Many of the players who will take the field when the Valley Stream Little League opens its 2011 season have never picked up a baseball before. So, with opening day still a few months away, Little League officials are making sure children learn the basics of the game.

The Little League runs a baseball clinic on Monday nights, from December through March, at the James A. Dever School. It is open to any child that is registered for the 2011 season and there is no additional cost. “If you sign up for the Valley Stream Little League, it’s one of the perks,” said League President Steve Dignam who runs the winter clinics.

At 6 p.m., the clinic for the Cubs Division begins, which is for boys and girls ages 5-6. Dignam said many of these players are new to the league, and in many cases new to the sport. “We have a lot of new kids that have never played ball before in their lives,” he said.

In the Cubs Division, children hit off of a tee. They don’t face live pitching until they are a few years older. Dignam teaches the children the basics of baseball such as hitting, throwing and fielding. In some cases, he has to show them how to hold a bat, how to put on a glove or teach them which side of the plate to stand on.

In April when the season begins, Dignam said the coaches will continue the instruction during practices.

At 7 p.m., children from the Farm Division come in for their hour clinic session, which is 7 and 8 year olds. Finally, players in the Minors and Majors, ages 9-11, get their work in beginning at 8 p.m. Dignam said there are also clinics for the girls teams on Thursday evenings at the William L. Buck School.

Dignam said for the older children, who have played before, the clinics give them an opportunity to stay sharp over the winter and advance their skills, learning field position and baseball strategy.

Between the three sessions, Dignam said he has a steady turnout of about 60 children per week. Many of the parents stay and watch. “They get a great kick out of seeing their kids get better,” he said.

Alex Calderone, whose 5-year-old son Christian will be playing Little League for the first time, stays and watches his son in the Dever gymnasium. He said his son is very excited to be playing baseball for the first time.

Dignam said about 300 children are already registered for the upcoming season with four registration dates still left. He is hoping for good weather this spring, which has been hit or miss the past few years. In 2009, there were a lot of rainouts which forced many games to be postponed. Last year, after opening day was rained out, Dignam said the league enjoyed great weather.

Opening day is set for April 16.