SHREWSBURY – Shrewsbury ballplayers — young and old — got together at Shrewsbury High School for the love of the game.
On March 9, the Shrewsbury High School baseball team held the last clinic session for 5- to 8-year-old athletes. In partnership with the Shrewsbury Little League, the Colonials held seven total clinics that ran on Saturday mornings from January through March. Roughly 30 youth players — toting gloves, bats and other baseball gear — improved their game over the winter.
“We thought it’d be a great opportunity to get kids in town at a young age to introduce them to baseball, teach them a few things, and most importantly, have fun,” Colonials Head Coach Lee Diamantopoulos told the Community Advocate at the event.
The clinic has proved to be a successful partnership between two town baseball programs. The idea for the clinic, first conceptualized in a Shrewsbury Little League meeting room, was immediately accepted by Diamantopoulos when it was first floated. Both sides recognized that the program was a win-win.
“From their perspective, I think it’s a great way to give back to the community. I think a lot of those kids probably played Shrewsbury Little League at some point in their life,” said Shrewsbury Little League President Michael DiPiazza. “To me, the thing that I’m excited for is seeing the kids that I’m coaching now continue this for years to come, and seeing those kids grow up to do something like this and continuing that tradition.”
The clinic included four stations: fielding, throwing, baserunning and hitting. For some ballplayers, the clinic served as an introduction to the sport of baseball. For others, as DiPiazza noted, it serves as additional practice that will raise the level of play in Shrewsbury’s Little League system.
Indeed, for many high-school players the clinic was an opportunity to give back. The Shrewsbury athletes spent their Saturday mornings teaching throwing mechanics and showing the youth athletes how to properly swing the bat. Many of the athletes spent the morning crouching down to meet the Little League ballplayers at eye level, placing baseballs on tees and collecting loose equipment.
“I remember when I was younger looking up to the older kids and just thinking they were awesome. Now, we’re the older kids and we’re putting the time back in,” said senior Noah Johnston after straightening out one young player’s swing. “The kids… they’re a blast to work with. They all have great personalities and a lot of energy.”
“For them, it’s giving back. They were in that position once when they were younger. It really comes full circle for them. They teach them some of their skills and different aspects of the game,” Diamantopoulos added.
