Little Leagues Are Gearing Up for the Spring
By Matthew Cannata | Sports Correspondent at January 30, 2024 | 9:00 am | Print
We just got over a foot of snow and we won’t see the grass for at least for a few more weeks, but that’s not stopping both the Fagan Cal-Ripken League and New Britain Little League from beginning their seasons with indoor practices. The practices, which are held inside various school gymnasiums around the city, are used to teach fundamentals to new players and for those returning, the winter session is used to refine fundamentals and to also teach more advanced techniques.
Jim Wyskiewicz, president of Fagan Cal-Ripken, says that their league started winter practices on Jan. 1 and are already a month into their curriculum. They have two clinics per week, which is split by age. On Mondays, the TBALL and Rookie divisions (ages 4-9) practice. On Wednesdays, the Minors and Majors divisions (ages 9-12) practice. Both nights are at Slade Middle School at 6:30 PM.
Winter clinics have been a mainstay in the Fagan league for the past several decades and Wyskiewicz has worked hard to continue to improve the instruction each and every year. Since becoming president, he has implemented special guests into various sessions, which has worked out well for the program.
“The winter clinics gives our kids the opportunity to get back into the swing of things and begin preparing for the season. In addition, it gives the coaches the chance to work with kids who never played the game. We have many special guests that make our clinics very instructional and a lot of fun.”
According to Wyskiewicz, each session sees a tremendous amount of kids each and every week. It is that kind of attendance that will allow the league and the players who attend these winter clinics a chance to get a jump start heading into the spring season.
“Our goal heading into the spring is to be able to shake the winter off and start to prepare for another great baseball season. In our league, we stress three very important fundamentals: respect, teamwork, and having fun. This is what distinguishes our league from others.”
New Britain Little League, which is for children ages 4-16, will begin their winter session next week. Rich Gadomski, president, said that they call it ‘Spring Training’ to get the players in the mindset that all of this practice and hard work is preparing them for when they hit the baseball field in the spring.
“Our goal during the winter sessions is to teach the children of the New Britain Little League the fundamental skills needed for a successful upcoming spring season. Whether its baseball or softball, I want the new players coming into the league to be able to develop the skills needed for a successful baseball or softball career. For the returning players, now is the time to brush up and fine tune the skills they already possess.”
The league already has over 100 players registered and spring training is included in the registration price. They split their winter sessions according to the division in which the child will play in the spring and put 12-13 players per session in order to maximize the opportunity for more one-on-one instruction.
Looking ahead to the spring season, Gadomski is confident that he, along with the Board of Directors, can get the league back to the levels they once were several years ago. He feels that this can be accomplished by creating a family and community environment instead of simply focusing on just the game and practices on the field.
“The children are here not only to develop skills for baseball and softball but also to develop themselves as players for both on and off the field, which includes creating bonds with both coaches and other players. I believe this helps to improve not just the team but as an individual. I want each child to have an enjoyable season and make memories to last a lifetime.”
While both leagues offer the opportunity for children to play baseball or softball, they are structured differently in regards to age groupings, division offerings and their rules. For more information on Fagan Cal-Ripken, please visit www.nbfaganbaseball.baberuthonline.com. For more information on New Britain Little League, please visit www.newbritainlittleleague.com.
