LIHU‘E — Youth baseball players between the ages of 8 through 12 years old are invited to participate in the Donny Kadokawa Kado Baseball 2013 Kaua‘i Spring Camp.
Players in the Lihu‘e area can register for the camp, which will run Monday and Tuesday at the Lihu‘e Baseball Field from 2 to 5:30 p.m.
On Wednesday and Thursday, the camp will move to the New Kapa‘a Town Park Pony Field from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Registration for the camps is $50 per player and will be limited to the first 40 players to sign up.
Players participating in the camp will receive instruction in hitting fundamentals, throwing and catching, pitching mechanics, catcher skills, infield play, outfield play, base running, sliding, and speed and agility.
Players must provide their own glove, shoes, snack and enough liquids for the day. Bats and helmets are optional.
In addition to the basic baseball camp, Kadokawa will also offer the Kado Baseball Advance Camp at the New Kapa‘a Town Park Pony Field for players 8 through 12 years old.
The pre-requisite for the advanced camp is attendance at the Kaua‘i Spring Camp.
Registration is $75 per player and the advanced camp will include instruction in advanced hitting and bunting drills and techniques, advanced throwing and catching, pitching the mental game, including picks and fielding position, advanced catcher techniques, infield double plays and advanced training, advanced outfield play with throwing to bases, base running, leads and strategies.
Registration for the baseball camps can be done by contacting Ryan McKeague at 346-1404, Erin Bustillos at 335-0441, Sam Bustillos at 634-4911, Nani Sadora at 651-8970, or by emailing Kadokawa at donnyextra@aol.com.
Kadokawa, who participated in the Trosky Baseball Camp at Hanapepe in December, said the camp scheduled for Waimea is already sold out, but if the kids from Waimea want to attend the Lihu‘e or Kapa‘a camp, he welcomes them.
“I want to expose the local kids to the Mainland and show them something different,” Kadokawa said in an email.
“I will be doing an advanced camp to see which kids would possibly make our Team Kado Travel Team and head up to California in the summer to play in a few tournaments with me in Northern California.”
Eventually, Kadokawa said he wants an exchange program where youth from Hawai‘i would spend time with host families.
The following year, he would bring his California team to spend time with a host Hawai‘i family to show the California athletes how children from Hawai‘i are raised.
Visit www.kadobaseball.com for more information.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
