ATHOL — The sounds of baseball echoed loudly from James H. Salevan Field on Wednesday — encouraging chatter, the pop of the ball hitting the glove and the metallic clang of solid contact at the plate.
The first ever Red Raider Baseball School kicked off at the beginning of the week with youth players leaving the comfort of the air-conditioned living room to come outside play to baseball under the summer sun.
Josh Talbot and Matt Talbot were the instructors, along with varsity baseball athletes Mark Ferrari, Dilan Fountain and Evan Mayer.
The presence of varsity players gives the youngsters baseball role models up close and personal.
“A couple of the guys take to each of the kids,” Josh Talbot said. “Now that’s their buddy. Sometimes the varsity player adopts the little kid and sometimes the little kid adopts the varsity guy. It’s a cool little experience.”
The day on Wednesday had players hitting, working on double plays and scrimmaging.
“Around here, it’s a passion for baseball,” Josh Talbot said. “For some of the younger kids, it’s about getting them excited for baseball. If you get some of the upper level kids to learn the game and develop skills and the younger kids to get excited you had a successful week.”
Dilan Fountain is a starting shortstop for the Red Raiders and volunteered his summer time to come help out.
“Just so they can have an inspiration,” Fountain said. “So they can be as good as us someday, or even higher. It’s going well, the kids are learning.”
The skill level of the players ranges from Chuck Stone All-Stars to players who have never played baseball before.
“I try to teach more about the game than teach the player individually,” Fountain said about teaching players at varying skill levels. “So they can learn how I love the game and they can learn to love the game as well.”
Alex Blunck, Aiden Jack, Jaxon Manjourea, Alex Lavigne, Landon Bass, Ethan Heuer, James Williams, John Richardson and Ben Winters all participated in the week long clinic.
“I just want to play,” Manjourea said. “I am actually really good.”
Manjourea, a second-grader, has a clear focus on hitting as the strength of his game.
“I like hitting … see, look,” Manjourea said before demonstrating his swing in the third base dugout.
Blunck, Williams, Heuer, Lavigne were all member of the Chuck Stone All-Stars.
Winters and Jack came to the clinic without baseball experience.
Richardson also has played a season of baseball and is eager to continue playing.
“I really liked the regular season of baseball,” Richardson said. “So I decided to see who will be on this team and see if it will be as much fun.”
On his second day at the camp, with Tuesday getting rained out, Richardson likes every aspect of the game and is enjoying the clinic.
“I think it’s really fun,” Richardson said. “I like the hitting, the running, the catching. I like all that stuff. I am going to be a little bit better after this …”
Richardson could not quite finish his thought, as he ran to the batter’s box to take cuts during the scrimmage.
When the scrimmage ended, the baseball instructors and players huddled together with Josh Talbot providing words of encouragement for each individual player.
