Spring Break
Softball: Panthers host prep skills camp
Jeff Jurinek/Sports Editor
Issue date: 6/25/09 Section: Sports
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The camp, which ran from Monday through today, focuses on strengthening the high school players' mechanics and fundamentals through a variety of drills focusing on all areas of the game: hitting, bunting, defense, base running, pitching and catching.
Eastern head softball coach Kim Schuette, who has conducted the camp the past three summers, stresses that the program is all about learning, improving, and having fun, while meeting many new people.
"I hope if you asked our campers that are here this week, they would say they had fun, learned a lot, were always busy, improved and would love to come back," Schuette said. "We want them always to be busy and learning and improving."
This year, 27 girls from all over Illinois and as far as six hours away came to Eastern for the camp. Sarah Burnham, a sophomore at Riverton Park High School in Indiana, said the camp has been beneficial for her.
"I've gotten a lot better at throwing, following through on my hitting, and being faster," she said.
The girls attending the camp have been staying in the Eastern residence halls throughout the week. A typical day for them includes a morning session concentrating on defense, an afternoon session focused toward offensive improvement, and scrimmages in the evening.
The camp staff focuses on keeping the players active through breakdowns in each facet of the game, including basic catching and throwing- a skill that, according to Schuette, is often overlooked.
"We work really hard as a coaching staff and camp staff to not be a camp where kids stand in a line and get a ball every 3-4 minutes."
The camp staff is made up of Schuette and her Eastern coaching staff, as well as three current Panther softball players: seniors Angie Danca and Denee Menzione, and junior Amber May.
"It's so awesome [those attending the camp] have the chance to interact with someone going through what they want to eventually achieve," Schuette said, referring to how beneficial it is for the high school players to have the collegiate players provide their knowledge.
The Panther players act as counselors, teachers, and coaches to the younger players. During the week, the Eastern players conduct sessions where the campers are free to ask questions about college, softball, and competing at the Division I level. The three veteran players even sleep in the dorms and eat in the dining centers with the campers.
While the Eastern players help the campers by providing tips and techniques, Schuette said the camp is just as much an important learning experience for them as it is the younger players.
"It really helps our current players, making their skill knowledge stronger. Its one thing if you can perform a skill or are a good player- but if you can teach someone else with less experience and maybe not as much talent yet that same skill- you become a great player and improve yourself," she said.
Menzione, a senior outfielder for the Panthers, further explained that by teaching the game, the Eastern players are able to learn from the high school players and work to improve their own skills.
"We learn a lot by teaching," she said. "From the mistakes we see in them, we might notice things that we do wrong and we can fix in our game. When I look at the younger players, I see things that I did when I was younger."
Jeff Jurinek can be reached at 581-7943 or at densportsdesk@gmail.com.
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