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Baseball clinic is right prescription

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Mike Meares
  • 15th Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii --  The baseball diamond can be a child's field of dreams, especially when college baseball players and coaches are showing the tricks of the trade.

More than 150 children took to the diamond Dec. 18 for some down and dirty baseball fundamentals in a baseball clinic sponsored by the Friends of Hickam and the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Morale Welfare and Recreation.

"Our mission is to support the Hickam community because they give us the freedom that we wake up every morning to," said Gwen Omori, Friends of Hickam president. "It's the families that really give everything, not only the Airmen. The families give their time for Airmen to serve."

The children took special one-on-one instructions from coaches and players from the University of Hawaii, Hawaii Pacific University and Island Movers traveling team in pitching, catching, infield, outfield, base running and hitting.

"This is nice, it's good to give back to the kids," said Kalani Brackner, UH sophomore utility player. "I don't ever remember anything growing up like this."
For some of the NCAA baseball players, they do remember the people that helped them along the way and helped them to get to the level they play at today.
"I think it's really good to give back to the community like this," said Chad Bolibo, HPU freshman first baseman. " We were kids once and I use to look up to the guys that would come down and help me out, get me better to reach that next level."

"It was awesome to watch the coaches work with the kids and see them catch on and learn (baseball) skills," said Jill Baird, a parent to a young baseball player named Colin.
Her son Colin spoke highly of the event after filling up on pizza and hot dogs for lunch. He is in his second year of playing baseball and is trying to find a position that he likes the most.
"I thought it was pretty fun," said Colin, a New York Yankees fan. "I really liked going around to the different places."

The children were cycled through the different areas while the coaches were working with them. They split up into age groups and rotated from infield and outfield drills to practice hitting in the batting cages. The coaches said they usually jump at a chance to teach baseball skills to children like Colin, to give them the foundation of the game that could propel them to the next level.

"It's good for the coaches to pass down what we know to the younger kids,"said Rich Olsen, Jr., HPU pitching coach. "As they get older, they need these fundamentals to get into that situation where they can go to a good high school and play, and then go to a good college to play and get an education.

"If it works out that one day they see their dreams come true by playing in the pros, then it's great for them," he said. "It makes us feel good to help these children reach their dreams."
Colonel Joe Dague, 15th Wing vice commander, is proud to be involved in events sponsored by the FoH. Every year, the civic organization sponsors the Keiki Fishing Tournament in June, a base-wide project for Airmen morale and the newcomer's island bus tour to name a few.

"It's another outstanding event with lots of great opportunities for the kids to get close to college baseball players and learn something about the game," he said. "Friends of Hickam are great community partners that give of their time and their energy to financially support the Airmen and their families. I'm really happy to be a part of their ohana."