Some of the best coaches in Canada were in Gibsons last weekend for the annual Big League Experience Super Clinic put on by the Gibsons Minor Ball Association (GMBA).
More than 120 kids from ages seven to 15 took part in two and a half days of quality instruction, learning the basics of the game from fielding and catching to pitching and base running. Even the coaches went "back to school" as 11 coaches went through certification training.
The coaches included Marty Lehn, co-owner of the Big League Experience camps and tournaments. Lehn is an active scout for the Milwaukee Brewers and coached the Canadian Olympic team at the 2004 Summer Olympics.
Chris Pritchett was one of the headliner coaches. Pritchett is a former Major League player with the Anaheim Angels and Philadelphia Phillies. He is now the hitting coach for the Vancouver Canadians, who are the short-season class A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. Pritchett was second round draft pick and played his college ball at UCLA.
Brent Crowther is a Canadian National team pitcher and former pitcher for the Colorado Rockies. Currently he is the owner/operator of the Dugout in Surrey. Jake Elder was a standout at the University of Minnesota. He was the Big Ten all-star catcher in 2004 and was drafted and played in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. Pat Phelan rounded out the coaching staff at the clinic. Phelan has been a part of the Sunshine Coast camp for several years and is a regular instructor at the Big League Experience camps.
"When you see the resumes of these coaches and the experiences that they can bring to our players, well, it's pretty impressive," said GMBA president Brian Scarr. "Our kids are learning from some of Canada's best coaches and they're learning the skills the right way. We're seeing better ball being played as a result of these camps. Kids are having more fun and learning new things all the time. We had great support from the whole Coast for this weekend. This just isn't a Gibsons thing anymore, it's a Coast thing. The weekend serves as a great way to kick off the baseball season."
