Learning the fundamentals of baseball

While the baseball fields were covered in snow, players from the Levittown-Wantagh-Seaford Athletic Association were in MacArthur High School’s gymnasium gearing up for the spring thaw.

LSW Sports is again holding its annual winter baseball clinic on Sundays through March. The children are divided up into three age groups, and with nearly 300 participating, it’s the highest enrollment in years according to league officials.

“It’s putting a baseball in their hands on Sundays,” said league co-President Gene Dellitalia, who explained that students learn hitting, throwing and fielding skills. He also said the staff is comprised of current and former baseball players, many on whom have played for the MacArthur Generals as well as at the collegiate level.

The Herald followed two players, Joseph Tufano, of Seaford, and Michael Dunphy, of Wantagh, through the clinic on Feb. 7.

The program started with a variety of warm-up drills, before they players broke into groups and rotated through five stations, spending 15 minutes at each.

Joseph and Michael began with “soft hand drills.” Their instructors, Dom Danetti and Jimmy Noble, taught the children how to properly position themselves to field ground balls and to catch a ball thrown to them by another fielder.

At the end, each boy had to put the brim of their hat in their mouth as they fielded ground balls. By blocking their view, it taught them how to keep their heads down and their eyes on the ball.

Next, Joseph and Michael were in the batting cage. Nets were draped from the ceiling to keep balls from flying all over the gym. Instructors Jack Heimink and Chris Moustouka were pitching. Each got several swings before giving someone else in the group a turn.

They moved on to another cage where they hit balls off of tees under the watchful eye of Nick Kaywood, the league’s strength and conditioning coach. Joseph and Michael were partners, splitting time on one of the five tees set up.

The next stop was the back corner of the gym for more fielding drills. Joseph had to choose between the two gloves he brought — his old one, and a new one he got for Christmas. He chose the new one.