Herts Baseball Club’s youth teams began their pre-season training as they prepare for the start of the 2011 Herts Little League season and the national championships which the Herts boys and girls will be involved in this year.
Usually Spring Training for the Herts youth teams begins in March or April, but this year the League decided to make use of the good indoor facilities which are available in Dacorum Borough and to give the young players a chance to start playing earlier after the winter close season. Despite the fact that the session was held at a significant distance away from the club’s home ballpark and it clashed with the football, rugby and other youth sports fixtures, the young baseball players came out in force. Amongst the players were many new faces joining the Herts baseball family.
Spring Training is also the time for coaches to get ready for the season. 15 coaches were involved in running 16 stations simultaneously, covering all aspects of the game of baseball. This enabled the teams to go through an intensive 2-hour session covering a large amount of baseball work, despite the limited space available for the large number of players who were involved.
This is just the start of Spring Training. Over the next few weeks Herts will be carrying out various recruitment activities to grow its youth programme further and reaffirm its status as one of the best youth baseball organisations in the country.
Last year the club’s Under-14 Herts All-Stars team became National Champions completing the season with an unbeaten record of 10 wins and no losses. They clinched the British title against their old rivals, the London Mets, in an unforgettable 2-1 win. A large number of the players from that Championship-winning team will be ready to make the step up to the Under-17 league. They will face tougher opponents and that will be the best way for them to continue their development as Herts players. With players moving to the Under-17 age group, the opportunity will open up for a new generation of Under-14 year olds to defend the National title. This will be a fantastic boost for the many Herts players who have not had the opportunity to experience baseball at the national level in the past.
As Herts players move up to the older age groups they will have a big challenge on their hands playing against tougher opponents. The club is determined to get the community in and around Hertfordshire involved in what will be another exciting season of Herts baseball.
Note: For more details about joining the Herts Baseball Little League visit www.hertsbaseball.com and contact the club. Boys and girls aged between 6 and 16 are eligible to play for the club’s youth teams. The Club welcomes players from complete beginners to experienced ballplayers. Players over the age of 16 can join up with the club’s adult teams who compete in the British Baseball Leagues.