Legion baseball team hosting anjnual blood drive
Please mark Tuesday, Feb. 27, on your calendar in order to give blood at the annual Libby-Mitchell American Legion Post 76 blood drive – done in conjunction with the American Red Cross. This is the seventh annual blood drive by the Legion baseball team, and it is tentatively scheduled to be held again at the Scarborough Police
Station from 2 to 7 p.m.
Scarborough Kids Travel Baseball is back!!
Signups for the second season of Southern Maine Kids Travel Baseball (KTB) will be Saturday Feb. 3, Sunday Feb. 4, and Tuesday Feb. 6, at the Scarborough Police Station.
The times of the KTB signups for the 7/8 year old division, and the 9/l0 year old division will coincide with the signups dates and times of Scarborough Little League. (Parents can stop by the Police Station during the times in question on the way to Little League signups, or on the way home). KTB is a collection of teams in the two age groups listed above that plays in the summer, after Little League season, throughout Southern Maine. KTB is modeled after
Travel Soccer. The focus of the league is for players to learn as much as possible, and improve, in a competitive setting.
Last year, the league featured teams from Scarborough, Biddeford, Yarmouth and Westbrook. Summer 2007 will see teams added from Wells, Cumberland, South Portland and other towns.
REGISTRATION FOR KTB WILL BE AT THE FOLLOWING TIMES AND DATES AT THE SCARBOROUGH POLICE STATION:
Saturday Feb. 3, 2007 from 9 a.m. to ll a.m.
Sunday Feb. 4, 2007 from l p.m. to 3 p.m.
Tuesday Feb. 6, 2007 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
KTB will start – for those players available – approximately June l5 after the Little League season. Practices will begin around then, and also skills clinics, and some scrimmages. Official KTB league games will begin about July 8 – this start date is designed to allow Little League all stars to play all star games and not miss KTB games. The KTB season will end about August 6, 2007.
The typical KTB week is a Monday practice at 6 p.m. in Scarborough, a Wednesday game at 6 p.m. either in Scarborough or in another nearby town; and then a Sunday game at 5 p.m. either in Scarborough or in another town. For players who do not participate in Little League all stars, KTB will offer plenty of activity for them beginning June l5.
The league goes for about six weeks. Skills clinics by former college or pro players on specific topics (hitting, middle infield play, catcher position, baserunning, outfield play, bunting, pitching etc.) are held several times thruout the summer, and are free of charge for KTB players, $l0 for others. The KTB season ends with a Punt, Pass and Kick type skills competition and family BBQ that the kids love. Kids
compete in throwing for distance, hitting line drives off an Iron Mike machine, and pitching for accuracy from the mound.
Registration fee for each player is $65. Checks payable to KIDS TRAVEL BASEBALL.
Players signing up for KTB will be notified of a tryout/evaluation session that will be held outdoor or indoor on a Sunday in April. Players will be evaluated, given a rating number for internal KTB use, and will be placed on a team roster by KTB administrators. The goal of KTB is to have even teams with players of a mix of talents on each team so that they can compete well against each other.
After teams are selected, KTB Director of Coaching Ross Burdick will review applications from persons interested in being KTB coaches; there will be two coaches per team, with a parent volunteer also designated on KTB insurance policies as an “eligible substitute” in event of emergencies, summer vacations etc. KTB coaches will be selected and announced by the target date of May l5.
There are several benefits KTB players enjoy throughout the season, and before. A hitting clinic is being organized featuring Toronto Blue Jays Double AA manager Ken Joyce. The clinic will be held at some time after KTB signups at The Bat Cave, indoor baseball facility, Riverside Street, Portland. KTB players may attend free of
charge. All others $l0. KTB players shall also be eligible for Monday night indoor “spring training” sessions beginning March l2 and running for five weeks at The Bat Cave. First hour each Monday is for pitching, throwing, long toss and arm strengthening. Second hour
is for hitting, and infield play improvement. The sessions are organized by Libby-Mitchell American Legion Post 76 baseball team. KTB players receive a 33 percent discount.
Finally, KTB players qualify for an indoor baseball league late March thru early May at The Bat Cave. The 7/8 year old division is Friday nights. The 9/l0 year old division is Saturday mornings. A coaching clinic, also put on by Toronto Blue Jays Double AA Manager Ken Joyce will be held in February. Director of KTB Coaching, Ross Burdick, will select persons to attend the clinc, which will have limited capacity and openings, and registration fee.
Any questions, call Dan Warren at 799-9793 or 883-4l67, or e-mail to dwarren@jwlawfirm.com.
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