New youth baseball traveling squad formed

WASILLA — During his time as a baseball coach in the Valley, Ken Ottinger has watched a steady stream of talent at certain age groups struggle to find opportunity or competition, or just leave the sport altogether.

Now, Ottinger, a coach in the Wasilla Pony League, hopes his latest baseball endeavor will provide local players with opportunity against higher competition, and keep local athletes interested in the game.

Ottinger is among a group of local coaches who have started the Alaska Glacier Bears, a competitive travel baseball team for Valley players.

“(The idea has) been floating in my personal head for probably about two years now,” Ottinger said recently. “We went ahead and started putting it together.”

Ottinger said the idea is to put together a squad made up of Valley players to take to tournaments outside Alaska.

We wanted a travel team for these younger kids to get out of state and playing some competition-style baseball. A lot of leagues up here are mostly developmental leagues, not much of the competition-style for some of these better athletes,” Ottinger said.

These types of programs currently exist in the Valley and Southcentral Alaska for sports such as hockey, soccer and basketball. Ottinger hopes this idea translates to baseball. Parents and players have been very receptive to the idea, he said. There is a lot of excitement, and the program rosters have filled up fast.

Ottinger — with the help of fellow coaches Brian Boyett, Matt Ketchum and Brian McEnis — already has a full roster of 14 players for its U14-15 travel squad. There are currently about 11 players on the U12-13 team, Ottinger said.

Ottinger said players across the Valley are eligible.

“We’re sticking with the Valley,” Ottinger said. “We’re really trying to take care of our community here in the Valley, from Palmer to Houston.”

Ottinger said a longterm goal for the program is the ability to provide local athletes opportunity year-round. The program has tentative plans to travel to Phoenix, Arizona, over spring break in 2015. Plans include competition in multiple tournaments and visits to Major League Baseball spring training games.

Ottinger said another goal is bridging the gap between Little League and American Legion baseball.

Plans include providing players with training throughout the year.

“We’re doing workouts and programs during the winter, setting up batting cages, working at the Menard (Center) a couple of times a week,” Ottinger said.

Those interested in learning more about the program, or contributing to the effort can contact Ottinger at 301-4084. Ottinger said the program is currently raising money to help cover things such as a travel costs. For more information, see Alaska Glacier Bears on Facebook.

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