Austin Skelhorn is a pitcher with the Yorkton Cardinals, a team in the Western Major Baseball League (WMBL), which is a summer league for collegiate baseball players. But on June 7, Skelhorn and six of his teammates put on a baseball clinic for students in Grades 5 and 6 at CCS. (Canora Composite School.)
In addition to Skelhorn, other instructors involved in the clinic were: Andrew Cisneros (pitcher), Thirus Jones (outfield), Dillon Champagne (pitcher/third base), Jayse Wilson (second base), Ryan Thrasher (utility) and Chris Cook (utility). Being utility players means that Thrasher and Cook can play just about any position.
Skelhorn said this was his first time as a baseball clinic instructor, but he was eager to take advantage of the opportunity when it was presented by the Cardinals and CCS.
鈥淚 love to see the kids really enjoy the game and get better at it as they work on the drills,鈥� said Skelhorn. 鈥淚 hope that when the clinic is over they have a genuine appreciation for the game and the pure fun of it.鈥�
He said the clinic was meant for all skill levels, whether the students had been playing the game competitively for a number of years or they had never picked up a bat or a glove before.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no reason to be intimidated,鈥� said Skelhorn. 鈥淭he clinic is for everyone. It鈥檚 all about having fun.鈥�
The clinic included throwing drills with hints from the instructors for improved accuracy and velocity. The instructors hit ground balls to help students with their form and positioning.
In fly ball drills, the instructors had participants run pass patterns like they would in football and then try to catch a ball thrown to them, to help improve fly ball catching skills in game situations.
The day after the clinic, the students, along with Leona Kitchen and Karen Wilgosh, teachers, traveled to Yorkton to take in an 11 a.m. Cardinals game against the visiting Melville Millionaires.
鈥淭he game was sponsored by Co-op so all the kids were offered hotdog, chips and pop for $5,鈥� said Kitchen. 鈥淎lmost all of the students took advantage of that great deal.聽 It was a hot but great day for a ball game.聽 It was nice for the students to get to watch the players that came and worked with them at our ball clinic.鈥�
