Photos by Alison James
Young baseball athletes work on critical skills – like base running and sliding into base – with tips and training from RHS coaches and players

Baseball athletes from ages 5-13 participated in a one-day Winter Baseball Camp Monday, hosted by the Golden Tigers on the RHS campus.

More than 40 children turned out for the camp, from Franklin County as well as surrounding counties, and Heaps said it was an excellent day for the both children and the RHS baseball program.

“This is where the future of your program is,” said Heaps. “If you don’t invest in your youth, you are wasting your time in sports.”

This was the third year for the Winter Baseball Camp, and Heaps said in addition to developing future players for RHS, the high school’s baseball program benefits in another way, as well.

“We put all this money back into our program,” said Heaps. Funds raised from the camp will help cover expenses from equipment to umpires to travel costs. “We’re trying to get a consistent budget our parents can rely on every year.”

Instructors included RHS coaches Heaps, Jay Stanley, Eli Fuller, Corey Flanagan, Nathan Vincent, Andy Lambert, Sandy Tverberg and Cody Sellers, along with RHS players, who worked with the campers on pitching, hitting, infield play, throwing fundamentals, fly balls and outfield play, base running and sliding, speed and agility.