Brookfield actress hits big screen - Quaboag Current

A Turley Publication • www.turley.com I Thursday, July 19, 2012 PAGE 15
– sports –
Boys of summer raise hope
at Quaboag baseball camp
- WARREN -
By Bob Schron
Turley Publications Sports Correspondent
At the Quaboag Summer Camp this week, baseball
took center stage. Under coach Brian Guimond
and star Cougar player, senior Thomas Jankins,
12 young players ran through several drills. In the morning,
a hot summer day underway, the fifth through seventh
grade boys began a better understanding of a game
that is beautiful because it’s continually reinventing itself.
As Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers is fond of
saying though, let’s not get too deep.
Coach Guimond and Jankins prefer to let their quick
paced drills do the talking anyway. The players — the
six at this workout included Blake Otte, Gage Letendre,
Michael Kelleher Jr., Jack Sledziewski, Keegan
Moynihan and Kolby Moynihan.
Fielding, hitting, throwing mechanics, baserunning
techniques and a primer in elementary strategy made up
this week at the high school.
“We think it’s a good group, and we’re taking steps to
make it a good week,” said the coach. “Here, it’s important
to tell the kids that you can’t stress fundamentals too
much. We’re working on all of those skills necessary to
help a youngster become more engaged with the game
and improve at it. The details: We want to see that their
footwork and balance is as good as it can be on every
play. At the end of all training, you want to be a better
competitor.”
The coach stressed that individual fundamentals won
out over the team game with a number as small as it was
this summer.
“We wanted a larger number and we tried to promote
it more in West Brookfield,” he explained, turning to
marketing ever so briefly, “but we like the number here.
We obviously can’t scrimmage. So we are focusing on
Local Sports Calendar
SCOR FC footskills,
finishing school
BARRE - Take your game to the next level. The
Summer SCOR Ball Mastery and Finishing Clinic
will run mid-July through mid-August, 6 to 8 p.m.,
five weeks in total. Two locations will be offered -
Wheelright (Roach Field) on Wednesdays and
Spencer (4H fields) on Fridays. Same curriculum will
be covered at each location each week.
Participants may attend one or both locations for
same price.
The cost will be $120 per player.
This clinic is open to the public.
Players are evaluated and separated based on skill
level. Learn more and register at http://scorfc.com.
Worcester State Summer
Baseball Clinic
WORCESTER - Worcester State University will
be hosting its annual Summer Baseball Clinic for boys
and girls ages 8-13 from July 23-27.
The camp will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the new
baseball field.
The cost is $275 for the camp with trip to a Lowell
Spinners baseball or $350 for the day camp with trip
to game and overnight stay at the University.
The camp will be run by WSU baseball coach Dick
Baker.
For more information call 508-929-8852 or 774-
230-3872 or go to wsulancers.com/camps-clinics.
Soccer Footskills Summer Clinic
HARDWICK - Premier soccer club SCOR FC is
offering an excellent footskills and finishing clinic to
area soccer players. This training program is open to
all youth players U10-U17.
Get advanced training and coaching from premier
and college coaches for five weeks starting
Wednesday, July 18.
The clinic meets weekly and students have the
choice to attend one of both locations each week for
the same registration cost.
The clinic meets Wednesdays 6 to 8 p.m. Hardwick
more skill development. The way we’re approaching is
to explain game situations as thoroughly as we can. Call
them modified scrimmages.”
In one of these for example, a throw from the outfield
is deliberately overthrown. Guimond then explained the
responsibility of the pitcher on that type of play, namely,
backing up the catcher.
“It’s huge to help them understand how baseball
games are won as a team,” explained the coach. “On that
play, everyone has to know where the ball is going; that
the pitcher would then have to catch it; and then where
he would throw it, depending on where the runner or
runners were.”
The camp is also about helping these aspiring players
to love the game more.
“I know that when I was growing up,” recalled the
coach, “I would always go to games. I’d go to the Cape
Cod League. Thomas grew up similarly and it’s very
apparent how it’s helped him. You learn by observation.”
Quaboag is growing its program incrementally.
“It’s important to see these kids out here,” Jankins
said. “Right now, this isn’t an area where a lot of kids
have played. But we’re trying to increase that number.
You see this group of kids, and they want to learn about
the game. Hopefully, this camp can help them sustain
their interest. Then when they get to the high school
level, they’re better players, they understand the game
better and they’ll want to go out and compete.”
The morning session was ending now with the coach
hitting fungous. At third base, Keegan Moynihan was
flashing a laudable throwing arm, firing throws over to
first base.
“We’ll remember those throws,” assured the coach.
“We’re always looking for good players in our program.”
Bob Schron is a sports correspondent for Turley Publications.
He can be reached at bschron@turley.com.
Roach fields and Fridays at Spencer 4H fields 6 to 8
p.m.
Please call Dave Noel with questions at 508-341-
9622.
Register online and learn more at SCORFC.com
Soccer Goalkeeping
Summer Clinic
BARRE - Premier soccer club SCOR FC is running
the areas only premier level goalkeeper clinic.
This training program is open to all youth players
U10-U17.
Get introductory and advanced training from a
two-time NCAA goalkeeper coach.
The clinic meets Fridays at Spencer 4H fields 7 to 8
p.m. meets for five weeks starting Friday, July 20.
Please call Dave Noel with questions 508-341-
9622.
Register online and learn more at SCORFC.com
Quabbin Youth Soccer
summer camp
HARDWICK - Register for the areas best
Challenger British Soccer Camp, Aug. 6-10, Roach
Field, Hardwick.
Full and half day camp options available.
All campers will receive a new soccer ball, 2012
camp t-shirt, training guide, poster, member access to
exclusive online training material and a player evaluation.
Challenger British Soccer Camp is the largest
soccer camp in the United States, Canada and
Australia.
Not only will your children get an amazing soccer
education from professional soccer trainers, but they
will have a cultural experience like no other.
Registration is still open but do not delay. Sign up
online at QuabbinYouthSoccer.com.
If you would like information about your organization
included in the Quaboag Current/Tantasqua Town Common,
contact Sports Editor Dave Forbes at 413-283-8393 ext. 237,
send an email to dforbes@turley.com or send it through the
mail to: Turley Publications c/o Sports Editor Dave Forbes, 24
Water St., Palmer, MA 01069.
Participants
ORGANIZATION:
Quaboag Plantation
Triathlon
Congratulations
goes out to all of
the participants.
It was a great race for
everyone involved.
BRONZE | FROM PAGE 14
To nominate someone for
Athlete of the Week, contact
Sports Editor Dave Forbes at
413-283-8393 ext. 237 or send
an e-mail to dforbes@turley.com.
“We would have over 90 players at some of the tryouts,”
O’Neill recalled. “When we took over, it was terribly
difficult. We felt that we were doing more teaching
than coaching. So we wanted to change the culture.”
In last year’s games, the team was immediately more
competitive. And though the tryout numbers didn’t dramatically
increase this year, the competitive level was
considerably better.
“We were able to do more coaching this season,”
O’Neill said. “Last season it was teaching fundamentals.
This year we were able to show why plays developed.
That was a big change.”
He added, “The team chemistry was much better,” he
said. “There was great chemistry, there was a harmony
among the players.”
Quaboag players Guzik, Messier, Jankins and Sweet
stood out.
“It was great to see Shelby back,” said O’Neill.
“Shelby hadn’t played in a year. This was where she had
hurt her knee, which cost her all of last season. She
played very well.”
Midfielders Sweet and Messier were key components
on last season’s Districts’ semifinalists. In the Games,
they showed why, and Guzik, who played all over the
field, probably impressed the coach most of all.
“I give praise to all of our players,” said O’Neill. “But
in many ways, Paige stood out, she came a long way.”
He explained. “ I want to say that Paige had a great
tournament. She really found herself. Her passing was
outstanding. Paige found a comfort zone with Tara
Harrington, of Oakmont, and Summer Moulton of
Narragansett. Their chemistry lifted us.”
There was a logjam at forward on the final team
“Thirteen of 17 players were forwards. Players had to
adjust.”
The team’s defense improved throughout, anchored
in goal by Northbridge’s Claudia Marzic, who will play
at Moses Brown prep in Providence. The result: In its
3-2 tournament run, the only two defeats were at the
hands of the gold and silver medal teams, Northeast (a
2-1 defeat) and the aforementioned 3-2 loss at the hands
of Southeast.
Asked if in the course of a month-long period that the
team would be a “John O’Neill team,” O’Neill laughed.
“I don’t know what that is,” he said. “Every coach
wants to disguise weaknesses and overplay strengths.
We identified speed in the front and decision-making in
the midfield. We had excellent defensive awareness.”
He said, “I was just glad to see our team represent
our area well. Some say it’s only a showcase. But I
think the reason the Games became good was that there
were regional rivalries. Plus, girls being on an all-star
team is a boost for all of them. They get to know players
they have competed against during the regular season, it
gives the girls a memorable experience.”
The future for O’Neill as Bay State coach?
“I don’t know,” he replied. “This was good and I’m
glad we played well. But this is my third (stint) coaching
Bay States. I said I would take it for a year and then
agreed to a second season. I haven’t decided.”
Lowe, Central win Girls Soccer bronze
Brimfield resident Kylie Lowe scored the game-winning
goal in the 26th minute to lift the Central Girls
Scholastic Soccer team to a bronze medal with a 2-0 victory
over Southeast/Coastal on Sunday, July 15 at the
2012 Summer Bay State Games.
Bob Schron is a sports correspondent for Turley Publications.
He can be reached at bschron@turley.com.