This will be the 15th season that Eager Beaver Baseball Association (EBBA) has introduced some of the youngest players to the game of baseball since adding the Little Sluggers and Tball divisions to their lineup.
The Little Slugger division, for players who will be turning 4 or 5 this year, introduces the young players to baseball-specific skills through a series of practice stations which help to develop those skills (ie. batting, throwing, base running). The Little Slugger program is assisted each week by players from the London Tecumsehs competitive teams.
Little Sluggers has five one-hour sessions on Saturday mornings, running from May 30 to June 27.
The one-hour sessions fly by as the younger players learn the game from the older players, and the older players come away with a new appreciation of the game – and a legion of little fans!
The Tball division, for players turning 6 and 7 this year, also uses practice stations, run by the team coach, as a means to teach baseball skills in a structured, non-competitive environment. Half of the hour-and-a-half session is spent rotating through four stations (batting, throwing, catching and baserunning). The other half is spent scrimmaging, where parents and coaches direct the action on the field and provide instruction to players on both teams. This is where parents are encouraged to get out on the scrimmage field to participate. Parent participation is crucial to the success of the program.
TBall has nine one-and-a-half hour sessions on Saturday mornings, running from May 9 to July 11. The final session for Tball on July 11 is held at Labatt Park for the annual Colman Day celebrations.
Be sure to get your registration in on time! Online registration closes March 31, 2020. The final in-person registration is Saturday, March 21 from 10am-2pm at the EBBA office at 652 Elizabeth St. in London.
For questions about any of EBBAs programs, email info@ebba.ca.
Submitted by Eager Beaver Baseball Association
