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By Athena Ponushis Children who attend a Minnesota Twins youth baseball clinic will have an advantage when spring training hits. When they go to watch the games, they can point down to the field and brag, "That professional baseball player was my coach." But the youngsters will leave the baseball camp with more than a souvenir autograph. They will carry professional advice back to their Little League games. "When dads are on the field coaching, we're just dads," said Todd Baxter, San Carlos Little League president. "But when a Minnesota Twins guy walks out there with a professional uniform on, it makes a big difference. "You can see the sparkle in the kids' eyes." Saturday kicked off the first of 13 Minnesota Twins youth baseball clinics in Southwest Florida. The two-hour clinics, held for boys and girls ages 5-16, will span through Feb. 18, traveling to various locations around the area. And the professional training is absolutely free. "We look at the Minnesota Twins as an asset to the community," said Peter Martin, Minnesota Twins Community Fund spokesman. "It's our responsibility to give back to the community, giving children and families of all means an opportunity to participate in our camps and receive quality instructing from our coaches and staff." The Twins and the Twins Community Fund, a nonprofit organization, annually distribute more than $3.3 million in community support. Lee County Parks & Recreation helps run the clinics, sharing the desire to spread baseball at the youth level. Athletic program coordinator Chris Williams said the Twins encourage the children to continue down the baseball road, with their sights set on a professional career as a potential reality. "They're not just coaches, they're real Major League Baseball players dressed in professional uniforms," Williams said. "The kids leave the camp thinking, 'Hey, maybe someday I can be like this.' " Twins camp director Rick Knapp views the 5-year-old spitfires and the 16-year-old know-it-alls as equal coaching challenges. But he feels the benefits of the camps extend past the players to the true coaches — the parents. "Parents get involved and have a chance to work with their kids," Knapp said. "And that's really important, because at this level, the parents are the ones who have to do the follow-up." More sore than from the physical exertions of practicing pitching, hitting, fielding and base-running will be the children's cheeks, which will be tired from a full day of smiling. "After the drills are all done, we play a game with them at the end," Knapp said. "The park people start putting away the equipment and the players and coaches start signing autographs. "The kids can't get enough. They run from person to person. It's a thrill for me, just as much as it is for them, to see their faces." IF YOU GOWhat: Minnesota Twins free youth baseball clinics Webposted on January 08, 2006
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Home This article is copyright 2005 by the Fort Myers News Press and is used for entertainment/educational purposes only.
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