Miners host annual summer baseball clinic

PALMER — More than 50 children from throughout the Mat-Su Valley have filed into Hermon Brothers Field each morning from Tuesday until today, and it is not to watch the Mat-Su Miners play baseball. Instead, the children have been at the field trying to become better baseball players themselves.

Miners players and coaches lead the sessions, which last from 9 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. and consist of hitting and fielding drills and competitions spread out throughout the week. Sean Winston, an assistant coach for the Miners, is running the camp with the help of Miners pitching coach Matt Greely. Winston is excited to do this for the second time, believing that this makes a major impact on the children as they grow up.

“It’s a lot of fun to be around the kids,” Winston said. “It’s something special to watch throughout the season as they come, know the players’ names, and have favorite players; it kind of brings you back to when you were a little get going to these kinds of camps.”

Miners first baseman Hunter Simmons is also working in his second Mat-Su Miners Summer Clinic. He believes that this camp offers a great way for the players to give back to the Palmer community.

“Palmer has done so much for us as far as support and passion for the Miners that we should give back to them. They look for someone to be a role model and to teach them to play the game. It’s good to be there for someone who wants to be so involved in baseball,” Simmons said.

Though Winston and Simmons have been involved with this program for two years, this is a program that stretches back many more than that. Pete and Denise Christopher have continued the clinic since the time they first took over the responsibilities of the team.

“Pete and I have been involved with it since 2002. It’s a tradition here,” said Denise Christopher, secretary for the Miners.

Despite the nature of the clinic, improving baseball skills is not the only important part.

“My favorite part of this clinic is seeing the kids have fun and learning how to play baseball. That’s the most important thing,” said Pete Christopher, the general manager of the Miners.

Even for a clinic that has lasted for years, there are still people in the community who are experiencing the event for the first time. Amy Hina of Wasilla is one such person, as her son is attending the clinic for the first time this year.

“I have heard great things about this before. (My son’s) best friend has done it,” she said.

Improving batting and pitching skills are something that Hina’s son intends to do, and those are all part of the plan of Winston.

“We are molding the minds of the Miners of the future,” Winston said.

For those still interested in attending the clinic today, children can be registered for $20 at Hermon Brothers Field.