A recent study by the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) found that the number of people who played baseball within the United States rose 21 percent in the last four years, or approximately 15.9 million people overall spanning all age groups. For the third consecutive year, baseball and softball combined to be the most participated team sport in the U.S. with 25.6 million participants. “Baseball is a great team game where you don’t have to be hyper-athletic to be a good player . In addition, it’s an opportunity to learn skills that can be applied as they grow into young adults, like dealing with failure (the best hitters are successful 3/10 times at bat),” said Ryan Spak who has been coaching 11U Ocee Orioles Travel Baseball team for five years. Here in Johns Creek, at Ocee Park, kids have been playing baseball all summer. Julio Canales and Ryan Spak coach boys ages 5 - 11, with practices and scrimmages at Ocee and tournaments throughout the Metro Atlanta area. COVID challenges have made the season interesting, but not impossible. “Much like with school, we tried to stay connected as a team during quarantine. We scheduled zoom calls, and we put together a workout tracker on a Google Sheet so the kids could stay accountable and work on their fitness and skills,” says Spak. “In addition, kids are aware of the state of the world, so they are spreading out when in the dugout, using hand sanitizer between innings, washing their hands when available, among other things. Most tournaments have specific COVID guidelines for players and their families to adhere to, such as tipping their hats to the opponents rather than a post game handshake.” Canales adds, “There is no physical contact except during game play when it’s required to make a play.” Both coaches encourage the players to hydrate throughout the week, rotate who sits on the bench, limit catchers to a few innings at a time, and are careful not to over schedule practices and games. “Typically we finish playing in early June, so this year has been different in that aspect,” says Spak. Still, the kids have found a way to get the most of their summer game. “Baseball teaches a lot of life skills, discipline, focus, strategy, teamwork, respect and so many other attributes that translate to life lessons and skills. The bonus is that it's just a really fun sport to play,” says Canales.
Article by Sue G. Collins
Photography by Aubry Canales
Originally published in Johns Creek City Lifestyle