As a baseball player, you will always come across stories and legends from the Dominican Republic. On the one hand, almost everyone has played with or against Dominicans. On the other hand
the DBA for decades in the “Dom-Rep” the basis for later triumphs at European championships and international tournaments. Although I’ve been active with George, Schumi, Nick and Marlies in the U18s and in one or the other DBA measure for a long time,
a trip to the Dom-Rep has not yet been planned. But now I could
but finally experience the place of so many stories, careers
and teams. The legendary, all-morning
Beach training on the program. In a gorgeous setting, surrounded by a pack of dogs and alongside some local youth who were also working hard towards their baseball dream
our boys their first training session. But before we started the morning baseball practice, we had an extensive Caribbean breakfast under palm trees with unbelievable
good fruit juices.
While in Germany we often rack our brains about correctly drawn batter boxes and scorer licenses, here in baseball it is often only about the most important things.
Our “home field” here in Boca Chica corresponds exactly to this principle. No frills, but everything you need: sand, bases, a rubber, and a covered batting cage. Behind the backstop one
roadside area for spectators and passing mopeds who stop to watch an inning from time to time. Beyond the outfield wall are rooftops and balconies
from which children and dogs watch what is going on in the field.
The first game follows on the first afternoon. It’s against the local club.
Behind the backstop, the aforementioned mopeds and taxi drivers are parked in the sun, small children are playing on the roofs of the dugouts and local superstars and local superstars are in the audience
former major league players who have accompanied the DBA Schildwall for years. On the field, the smell alternates between two-stroke mixture from the many mopeds and organic waste that has been in the sun for days
stands. The announcer and the fruit seller driving by are dueling acoustically – often drowned out by motorbikes.
Opposite us are young Dominicans who are mainly concerned with one thing: baseball. They are also correspondingly large, strong and fast. Also, don’t be afraid to look at anyone
Opportunity to demonstrate how hard they can throw. You can throw all tight. Doesn’t matter. Shortly after “play ball” everyone quickly realized that the Peloteros Aleman also play baseball
can: after 3 innings it was 7:0 for us and at the end of the game 10:3. A good start to the two week camp. Immediately after the first day, I was aware of what this environment – the climate, the atmosphere, the opponents, the coaches, the training, the daily mental talks for the right mindset, being together in the hotel – do to a group of 13-14 year olds can. It fulfills
It is with great pride and joy that I am here to help shape these young baseball players and to be able to learn a lot myself. Such an opportunity is by no means a matter of course. Many (young) coaches know what happens when you let young players play against tough, sometimes overpowering opponents:
they grow with the challenge. But we don’t just have a long weekend here. We’ve got a full two weeks of pure baseball where the players play individually and as a group
be able to surpass yourself every day. This was impressively observed at the latest in the games against Ozuna Academy and Pimentel Academy. These academies are prominent signs of the countless other academies where players from the age of 12 learn professional baseball
to get prepared. School and social life are hired far behind baseball. The result: Players from these academies regularly get contracts worth millions with major league teams.
For many different reasons, these players sometimes seem otherworldly for their age. Huge, trained and fast. Twelve-year-olds face off in hard-fought AtBats against 19
year-old pitchers who throw 90mph and more – of course with wooden bats.
The shield wall was completely unfazed by this, however. We immediately scored the first runs – 5 in the first two innings – while Ozuna didn’t get her first runs until the 6th inning during a brief period of weakness in our defense. I’m not sure if our boys even know what they did there. But maybe that’s a very good one
Sign…
2023-04-15 17:24:56
#German #Baseball #Academy #Boca #Chica #Insights #Clemens #Cichocki
