Stratford High Baseball and SPD-PAL Program Hit A Homerun

Back from a Covid-related pause in 2020, the fifth edition of the week-long Stratford PAL Coach Buck’s Baseball Camp just concluded on Friday August 6th with two last-day workout sessions at Penders Field. The camp ran from Monday, August 2nd through Friday, August 6th with upwards of 50 young ballplayers attending and participating.

Once again the combined efforts of the Stratford High Baseball team and the Stratford Police Athletic League were a success at the youth baseball camp. Many of the town's youth walked away from the 2021 edition with a vast knowledge of the game of baseball along with the work and techniques needed to become better ball players.

Leading the volunteering effort and coordinating all the daily coaching and instruction plans was Stratford High’s Head Baseball Coach Mick Buckmir. Coach Buck’s Stratford High assistants Skip Lance, Jim Sarantides, and Jose Escobar along with two special guest instructors, recent UConn graduate J.T. Lanese and Darien High School Head Baseball Coach Mike Scott, joined the coaching effort to extend their baseball knowledge and enhance the learning experience for all the youngsters.

To make things complete in the areas of leadership, mentoring, and service, each day all the campers were led and guided by six Stratford police officers very actively involved in the Stratford PAL and several current members of the Stratford High baseball team. All those participating were provided with baseball camp t-shirts and were treated by the Stratford PAL on the last day with visits from an ice cream truck.

Two specific workout sessions highlighted the camp. From 8:30 to 10:00 each day, a small group of baseball beginners from ages 6 through 10 were taken through drills and practices that concentrated on the fundamentals and baseball basics when it comes to throwing, fielding, hitting, and running the bases.

Then from 10:00 to 1:00, a larger group of advanced players from ages 10 through 14 participated in wide range of drills and skill-work practices that included dynamic warm-ups & stretching sessions, throwing lead-ups & progressions, base running instruction, bunting basics, swing series from tee work to soft-toss work to short front toss drills to live on-field batting practice, throwing relays drills, throwing/flipping box drills, infield play & instruction, outfield play & instruction, catching play & instruction, pitchers fielding practice, and hitting/running contests.

The goals of the camp were simple; (1) to promote the great game of baseball, (2) to develop and advance the baseball knowledge, skills, and talents of the young ballplayers, and (3) to foster the ‘practice much/try your best/have fun’ experience with the game.

As young 9 year old D.J. Cook said while taking early extra groundballs with Coach Buck before the 8:30 session on Thursday – “The more you practice, the better you get!”

The town is looking forward to the Stratford PAL Coach Buck's Baseball Camp in 2022.