Avery Parks and Recreation Baseball Camp a Huge Success

Last week Avery Parks and Recreation Department held its fourth annual baseball camp for local youngsters looking to further develop their skills and learn “tricks of the trade” regarding America’s pastime.

Campers were instructed by Avery JV baseball head coach and varsity assistant coach Samuel Phillips, who played college baseball as a southpaw pitcher for Tennessee Wesleyan College. Assisting Phillips during the camp was brother Seth, 2008 Avery High graduate who will pitch next season at Lenoir Rhyne University, as well as recent Avery graduate Sutton Stanley and current Vikings baseball players Dustin Childress and Steven Daniels.

“I’ve really surrounded myself with a good staff. They were really great with the kids and they had a lot of fun,” Samuel Phillips said at the camp’s conclusion on Friday. “The high school students working with us this week have a great work ethic and love the game of baseball, and that was something I wanted the kids to see in them. We tried to instill in the kids that baseball is meant to be fun and that it’s a game they can play and practice all year long.”

A total of 26 campers took part in the five-day camp, ranging in ages for 4 ½ to 16 years old. Students learned fundamentals of the game, encompassing fielding, hitting, and throwing. The camp also taught about situational hitting, defense, and a number of drills for kids to practice at home or while playing the game with friends.

“One of the biggest things we told the kids was just because the baseball season in Avery County is short, that doesn’t mean you have to stop playing. There is no off-season, and we taught the kids to go out and play the game and keep having fun,” Coach Phillips added.

As a group, the campers showed marked increases in development and grasping of skills taught by the older players. Every camper who attended the baseball came received an award. Outstanding Offensive and Defensive Player awards were given out to individual players, in addition to an award to the camper with the best attitude.

“We wanted all the kids to feel like they were important. Our staff evaluated the awards and I believe every kid was terrific,” Phillips remarked. “Many of the kids who have come back multiple years have continued to improve. There are some who are taking unbelievable strides toward becoming good baseball players.”

The annual camp is a great opportunity for not only the campers to learn skills, but for the county’s baseball programs to contribute to the lives of youngsters and growth of the sport locally in a tangible and meaningful way.

“The goal of Seth and I is to build a solid foundation for our kids. It’s something a lot of the kids are missing,” Phillips said. “We hope that if we have kids with a firm foundation who have played baseball with each other growing up; we won’t have to teach that to them when they get to high school.”

Overall, the kids were treated to a great camp experience, and both camper and instructor were blessed from having taken part in the activities. “It’s been a very good week. I’ve enjoyed it thoroughly. We’ve been able to share a wealth of knowledge with the kids and we’ve had a lot of fun,” Phillips said.