Baseball awakes from slumber with skills clinic

As the Covid-19 restrictions continue to ease on sports activities, naturally, the first thing the baseball and softball association did was to get back on the field – this time with 60 local children.

In partnership with the US Mission in Uganda, Tartan Burner Athletics Club (TBAC), volunteers from the LA Dodgers training program, the Uganda Baseball and Softball Association (UBASA), hosted a baseball clinic at Kitante Primary School on Saturday for youths around Kampala Metropolitan.

The Jackie Robinson Legacy baseball clinics marked the first in-person clinic which strives to encourage elementary-age baseball and softball participation.

According to Robert Egessa, the president of TBAC, the event organisers, the Jackie Robinson Legacy baseball clinics provide a safe and fun environment for young players to develop their skills with the help of professional coaching staff.

“Our mission is to organise events that provide quality technical information that promotes skill development as early as possible and for this case, a growing passion for baseball,” Egessa said.

The clinics which had been held in Lira and Arua in 2020 before the Covid-19 lockdown, were concluded last week with three clinics in Mbarara, Tororo and Kampala.

Selected players are taught the basics of hitting, pitching and catching. Each session begins with proper warm-up routines essential for long-term development before going into foundational drill progressions.

Children ranging between 7-17 years old are split into groups that cater for their skill set.

“Ultimately, we want the players to be excited for the challenge disregarding their performance during the sessions,” Egessa adds.

Felix Okuye, the president of the Uganda Baseball and Softball Association hailed the programme as educational and worthwhile.

“We teach foundational baseball techniques that can help children get interested in baseball. Furthermore, we teach players the value of adversity, work ethic, and positive leadership,” Okuye says.

Inspiration

Christopher Krafft, the Charge de Affairs at the US Embassy, the founder of the programme, explains that the clinics are an integral part to the Jackie Robinson legacy.

“We created the program to encourage young people to embrace the principle of perseverance and non-violence,” Krafft said.

Robinson is the first black player in Major League Baseball but his deliberate response to insults, threats and mistreatment was non-violent.

The program was halted in 2020 by the global Covid-19 pandemic. During the delivery of the programmes, the organisers were keen on Standard Operating Procedures including hand washing, social distancing and wearing masks. Krafft reiterated the need for sportsmen to get vaccinated.

“Vaccines are safe and will provide protection from Covid-19. I encourage anyone who is eligible to get vaccinated such that sports can fully open up,” Krafft said.