USA Softball recently conducted two fastpitch camps, exclusively for young male players, in conjunction with the ASA Junior Olympic Boys National Championships in North Mankato, Minnesota.
The first camp involved 20 boys who are in the pool group of players born in 1989 or later that are age-eligible for selection to the USA squad that will compete at the ISF Junior Men’s World Championship next June in Whitehorse, Yukon Canada. All 20 of these boys were playing with various club teams in the 14-Under, 16-Under and 18-Under ASA national tournaments. USA Softball junior men’s national team head coach Tim Lyon, along with assistant coaches Scott Standerfer and Gary Mullican conducted the 3-hour camp at Caswell Park on Thursday afternoon, August 2.
Later that evening, 30 boys from five states participated in an open tryout camp for players born in 1989 or later. The junior men’s coaching staff gave instruction in hitting and fielding fundamentals as well as more individualized information for the positions of pitchers and catchers, outfielders, middle infielders and corner infielders. From this group of boys, the coaching staff was pleasantly surprised at the abilities of several players who are age-eligible for next years USA national team as well as the prospects for players born in 1993 or later who would be eligible for the next ISF event in 2012.
For further information about opportuniities to be a part of the junior men’s national team, contact USA Softball at www.usasoftball.org or head coach Tim Lyon at timlyon@earthlink.net.