Guest instructors work with local baseball and softball talent

WASILLA — Spending weeks of practice time indoors is pretty typical for Valley softball and baseball players.

But as he worked with nearly 80 local softball and baseball players during a single-day clinic Thursday afternoon at the Menard Sports Center in Wasilla, longtime baseball coach Bobby Bell urged players to not let geography define their future in the sport.

“One of the most important things we want them to understand, we’ve all been there. We’re from warm weather states, cold weather states,” Bell said. “If you work hard at it, love it, have a passion for it, it doesn’t matter where you’re from. It can happen.”

Bell, who spent 10 seasons as a minor league baseball coach in the Miami Marlins organization, was one of four guest instructors at the clinic hosted by the Interior Baseball Lions. Bell, a catcher and third baseman in the California Angels system in the 1980s, has been making the trip to Alaska for an annual clinic hosted by the Interior Baseball Lions in Fairbanks. But this year, the association added a clinic in Wasilla.

“We wanted to share the experience. The kids deserve it down here,” Interior Baseball Lions president Dave Hall said. “It’s a really good kickoff to the spring. Kids get professional instruction in this great facility Wasilla has to offer.”

Alongside Bell is another instructor, Joe LeFebre, Hall’s college baseball teammate at Easton Oregon University. LeFebre, a longtime college baseball coach and a professional scout with the New York Yankees, said he wants to use the clinic to provide fundamentals that Valley players can continue to work on throughout their careers.

“A lot of fundamentals. Some of it’s basic, some of it’s more advanced. If they take what they learned today, and continue to work on it, they’ll get better,” LeFebre said.

Hall said after hosting their clinic in Wasilla for the first time, the goal is to certainly grow.

“I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t be able to move forward,” Hall said. “We can reach more people.”

Thursday’s clinic was designated for boys and girls grades seventh through 12th, but Hall said he’d like to add opportunity for younger players as well, and hopes to create a session for players grades kindergarten through sixth. Hall and his association have already expanded beyond baseball, and now includes softball. Colony High girls softball head coach Tamara Finley helped organize the event.

“Tamara Finley was instrumental putting this on,” Hall said.

The clinic included a pair of former NCAA Division I women’s softball standouts who also worked as instructors during the event. Lauren Heager and Kylee Lahners, teammates on the Dallas Charge of the National Pro Fastpitch league, each made the trip to softball for the event.

Both were excited about the turnout and girls who attended.

“It’s so fun. They’ve all been really good. They’re spongy, soaking it all in,” Haeger said.

Haeger capped her collegiate career as the top player in Division I softball. The University of Florida star was a first-team All-American and was named the USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year in 2015. Haeger a standout on the mound, at the plate and in the field at Florida finished with 73 wins and 71 home runs in her career. Haeger and Babe Ruth are the only players at the NCAA or MLB level to have at least 70 home runs and 70 wins in a career.

Haeger’s message was simple.

“Have fun,” Haeger said. “No matter what level you play at, it still should be fun.”

Lahners added that mindset is important.

“Have an open mind with everything you do,” Lahners said.

Lahners said she was happy to see that the players at the camp were open to new concepts, new ideas.

“There’s not just one answer when playing this sport,” Lahners said.

Lahners is a former University of Washington standout, who was named first-team All-Pac 12 as a senior in 2015.

Wasilla High softball head coach Tyler Gilligan said he was thrilled to see this caliber of talent available to tutor local players.

“I’ve been extremely excited, looking forward to this for a while,” Gilligan said. “A lot of these girls have been watching them on TV for years.”

The clinic featured a large turnout of Valley girls softball players, with all four local prep teams represented. Gilligan said 15 of his 21 players were available to participate in the clinic.

“It’s a huge deal, especially right at the beginning of the season,” Gilligan said.

Hall said his association’s first baseball and softball clinic at the Menard is just the beginning. He lauded the facility and the help of Wasilla’s director of recreational services Joan Klapperich, and believes the future is bright for an annual clinic in the Valley.

“It’s going to get as big as we want it to get,” Hall said.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.