During Thanksgiving break, the Lancer baseball program put on a camp for the younger players in the community. The camp encouraged the future Lancers to learn from the varsity players and coaching staff.
By helping run this camp, the varsity athletes get the opportunity to inspire the younger players, and. tThe young athletes value the opportunity to train with their role models.
“I think it’s really important for all of the high school players [to volunteer], because it allows for children that are younger, to get an experience of a lifetime,” senior Kingston Jarrard said. “Playing with people that they see as celebrities, people who play high school baseball are sort of celebrities to the younger kids, especially when they’re five.”
The feeling of giving back to the community is incredibly motivating for the CHS players. Not only does it inspire young athletes, it encourages the current Lancers.
“I think it’s important that this is the community that I was raised in,” junior Trent Kellas said. “I remember going to the games when I was little, so it’s important for us to continue to support the players, support the community.”
Beyond inspiring younger players, the camp also gives varsity athletes the chance to share lessons they have learned throughout their high school careers. By teaching these skills, players are able to help younger athletes grow and avoid common mistakes.
“It means taking all the things I learned throughout high school and high school baseball trying to make sure they don’t make the same mistakes as me,” senior Kaden Thorn said. “Hopefully they’re not going to make the same mistakes as me, hopefully be a better player than I am.”
Beyond teaching skills, the camp also gives players a new perspective—stepping into a coaching role and experiencing the game in a different way than they do as athletes.
“I enjoy seeing where all their heads are at and learning how they’re going to be as baseball players,” senior Luke Shultz said. “They’re all pretty cool at the camp, t. They’re all good kids.”
The camp also helps build connections between the varsity players and the kids attending. Through these interactions, players gain a better understanding of the younger athletes and their love for the game.
“It not only helps me to get to know some of the kids that’ll be coming up, but also getting to connect with my teammates and learning how to work together, to teach them and work together, and figure out how we’re going to make it run smoothly,.” Kellas said.
In addition to building skills and relationships, the camp highlights the joy baseball brings at a young age. Watching kids play freely reminds the varsity players why they started playing the sport.
“Just like seeing the kids develop and have fun and just honestly just the joy of baseball that it brings at a young age,” Thorn said. “When you get older, pressure with college starts and the game becomes less fun and more stressful. It’s just cool to see these kids really enjoying the environment and just having fun playing the game.”
