Sunshine Coast softball players finessed their skills last weekend at the sixth annual Simon Fraser University (SFU) softball clinic.
Under the instruction of the SFU women's softball team and coach Mike Renney, Sunshine Coast players, aged 11 to 18, honed their technical skills and gained some new dreams.
"I think a large part of [what participants gain] is seeing mentors, in terms of the SFU girls coming up, and just seeing something to strive for, and then in addition to that, the technical development -the skill development that they get through the drills and the tweaking that the girls and Mike Renney offer," said Sechelt Minor Softball Association (SMSA) treasurer Randy Younghusband.
The clinic coached players in pitching, hitting, catching, throwing, base running, bunting, fielding and sliding.
SMSA president Ann Hayward said beyond the mentorship and skills development for players, the clinic also provides an opportunity for local coaches to hone their skills as well.
Renney said this year's clinic followed the same pattern as previous years.
"We usually jump on an early ferry on Friday and come up and do a pitching clinic on Friday night and also do a [free] 10 and under clinic which we started up last year just to stimulate the interest in softball in the community. Then Saturday and Sunday we do general skills from the kids all across the peninsula, all the way from Gibsons and up," he said.
Compared with previous years, this clinic was scheduled a little later in the season - which made for great weather, but a smaller turnout.
"We had over a hundred last year, it was crazy," he said, noting that this year's numbers were down to the 50-plus range. "We're competing with the tournament schedule. These are all multi-sport athletes and you get the athletes out there and every coach from every sport wants them, so they're being pulled from different directions on a regular basis."
Renney said, as usual, the clinic is a challenge to schedule due to SFU's busy season.
"We were down in Tacoma on Thursday [April 29], and on Tuesday [May 4] we're flying to Texas, so it's very tight within our schedule," he said, but he emphasized what a great reception the team gets from the SMSA when it comes to the Coast. "Their hospitality is phenomenal."
