The Huntingdon College head coach is getting ready to run the 15th annual Sylacauga Baseball Camp, which will be held June 6-9.
Conville has been running the camp since its inception, and said last year’s camp went well.
“We had a good turnout as usual,” Conville said. “Last year was another successful year. I’ll do it as long as I can as long as there’s a need for it and as long as the surrounding communities want to do it.”
The camp has proven successful, as Sylacauga High School athletes like Cade Conville, Aaron Wykoff, Matt Collier, Jake Edwards and Brent Forbus all have participated the camp in the past.
“The majority have been through camp, Conville said. “A lot of area kids from Childersburg, Fayetteville and Comer too. Some of them were in it for a few years.”
Conville said it teaches young players the fundamentals of the sport.
The camp typically has about 50-75 kids participate each year, and many children are already signed up. Conville said there are ususally 20-25 new kids each year.
The only change to the camp this year is the time. In years past, it was run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This year Conville changed it to 8 a.m. to noon.
“A lot of kids become unproductive post lunch,” Conville sad. “We’re also trying to cut out the heat of the day.”
The first thing the camp will teach is offense.
“We always start with offense,” Conville said. “It’s the hardest but most fun part.”
Other activities include infield and outfield catching, base running and catching.
“We get the radar gun out and learn to catch fly balls with water balloons,” Conville said. “Those things make it fun and make kids want to come back. We’re teaching fundamentals with gizmos to allow them to have a fun time when they don’t’ realize fundamentals are being taught to them. We also do simulated games and stuff they don’t get in Little League or Cal Ripken. Hopefully it’s stuff they’ll hold on to.”
Conville will teach the camp with the help of the Huntingdon College assistant coaches, as well as college and high school baseball palyers. He said they will teach every fundamental aspect of the game.
According to the registration form, the camp’s emphasis is on “Hard work and fun combine to promote each camper’s progress. Campers learn that success is attainable through desire, dedication, and determination and every effort is made by the camp instructors to ensure that the Sylacauga Baseball camp will be a gratifying and worthwhile experience.”
Conville looks at the camp as a way of giving back to the community.
“It’s a good way to give back to my hometown and do something I enjoy and that I’m comfortable with,” he said. “It’s a good way to see kids develop. I never thought it would last this long. It has blessed me more than the kids. I enjoy doing it and seeing the camp shirts though town over the years.”
For more information on the camp, contact Conville at 256-245-7409 or 334-833-4252.
Contact Wesley Sinor at wsinor@dailyhome.com.
