Young players in Rochester and Dartmouth received a masterclass in baseball from the Wareham Gatemen on Sunday, July 9.

In order to instill baseball wisdom and knowledge in its players, the Dartmouth Youth Activities Association and Old Rochester Youth Baseball League held two separate free clinics for the Gatemen to meet with the kids on a primarily educational basis.

However, there was still a competitive edge at play.

After a bit of practice throwing in Dartmouth, Gatemen held a quick competition to see who could throw the ball furthest. The winner received a minor league baseball from the Gatemen.

At the announcement of the prize one kid yelled out, “I caught two of you guys’ baseballs at a game.”

The Gatemen were happy to work with the kids, giving each participant encouragement and pointers.

“It’s a lot of fun getting to give back,” said Josh Stevenson, a Gatemen outfielder. “As a kid, I always came to these camps … and hopefully they have the same dreams as me and can grow up and do the same thing.”

In Rochester, young players were divided into groups based on age and partnered with Gatemen players for pitching and batting drills — getting one-on-one attention when needed. 

“This is awesome. … The kids aren’t going to forget this,” said one parent while Gatemen players led the kids through a “home run derby,” a game where two teams of batters compete to knock the most balls out of the park. 

Batting from center field, kids sent balls flying over the back fence. Balls flew so far that one Gatemen player put on a catcher’s mitt and protected parked cars from particularly strong hits. 

“The Gatemen are so awesome to us,” said Old Rochester Youth Baseball President Mike Duarte. “They always reach out to the local community.”

“They’re so great with the kids. It’s so nice to see them give back,” said Duate. “And these kids look up to them and it’s a really great experience.”

Exposure to the sport from people who love the game is a perk of the program.

“This is just more exposure and more experience for them,” said Dartmouth’s Meredith Wilkinson, whose two sons participated in the clinic. “It’s cool that they can meet some college kids and see how they play.”

From the smiles and eager participation of the young baseball players, there was no doubt they were having fun.

“You start this game as a little kid to have fun and you play it because you love it,” said Stevenson. “It’s important to keep it a kids game.”

For more information on upcoming clinics or to register, visit https://gatemen.org/bat-kids/clinics/.