Youth Sports

Little Leaguers keep their skills sharp

Posted

Winter is not thought of as baseball season, but in Wantagh, it’s the perfect time for children to hone their skills for the spring.

The Wantagh Little League is hosting a winter clinic at the middle school on Sundays to help players prepare for the 2015 season, which begins in mid-April. It is being led by brothers Bryan and Graig Ciminelli, both products of the league and Wantagh High School graduates.

Bryan Ciminelli, the league’s director of youth clinics and instruction, played high school, college and Independent League baseball. He loves the sport and wants children to enjoy playing baseball. “I want to share that passion with the kids,” he said.

Over the five-week program, there are three hitting sessions and two for fielding, alternating each week. The early morning session, for children ages 6-8, focuses on the fundamentals of baseball, while the late morning session, for ages 9-12, tackles more advanced skills. The Ciminelli brothers have a variety of drills that they do with the kids to teach proper mechanics. Each session is two hours and draws roughly 30 to 40 players.

Patrick Van Roten, a coach in the league, said he has learned a lot of drills he can do with his players during practices. He praised the Ciminelli brothers and their instructors for the work they do with the children.

Van Roten’s two sons, Patrick, 9, and Cody, 7, also took part in the clinic. “It gives them the ability to play ball in the winter,” he said.

Terry McGlade said the clinics are phenomenal and her son, Ryan, has come for the past two years. She said the program is structured well and the instructors teach to the level of the kids. McGlade said Ryan is a much-improved player as a result of the winter baseball tune up.

Ciminelli said the clinics would not be successful without the support of his volunteers. He has as group of high school and college students who all played in the Little League themselves. Some are on the Wantagh High School varsity squad, others play on the Little League’s senior division team and some are with the Wantagh Blackhawks adult team. All of the instructors have a strong baseball background.

Page 1 / 2