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BASEBALL Rogues to host summer baseball camps Comment By Kris Henry Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Kris Henry Mail Tribune Posted May. 13, 2015 at 7:49 PM Updated May 14, 2015 at 4:08 PM By Kris Henry Mail Tribune Posted May. 13, 2015 at 7:49 PM Updated May 14, 2015 at 4:08 PM » Social News With an aim to provide a more comprehensive experience for ballplayers of all skill levels, the Medford Rogues have announced a plan to put on eight four-day baseball camps this summer beginning next month. Camps for players age 5-13 will run Mondays through Thursdays at Harry & David Field from 9 a.m. to noon, with the first session slated June 22-26 and the eighth and final session Aug. 10-14. Fridays will be used as makeup days for any camp dates that are rained out in a given week, and campers will be separated in age groups 5-7, 8-10 and 11-13. The extended camps are the brainchild of first-year Rogues General Manager Ian Church and assistant coach Aaron Nielsen, who will guide the daily activities along with Rogues players and other local baseball figures. “In my eyes, there’s a big difference between doing things and doing the right things,” Church said of the camps. “What I want to instill in these kids is that work ethic to say practice doesn’t make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect. If we continue to think that way and train that way, then that will translate not only on the field but off.” Cost for each session is $120, or $900 for those who enroll up front for all eight sessions. A camp shirt and hat will be provided, and there is a cap of 50 players per session. Church was a standout prep baseball player in Florida who played four years at Stetson University and then spent six years in the minor leagues. In 2006, Church was named Baseball America’s Independent Player of the Year and Frontier League MVP after belting 31 home runs for the Kalamazoo Kings. He has also opened indoor athletic training facilities in Westchester, N.Y., and Mount Pleasant, S.C., before coming to Medford. For Church, holding weekly training camps this summer is a project he’s extremely passionate about, and for a host of reasons. “Baseball is America’s pastime and there’s a reason for it,” he said. “There’s a rich history of tradition of doing things a certain way and I want to make sure that isn’t lost. If I have the opportunity to make sure that the integrity of the game stays in place, I want to do that. I want to use the megaphone I have with the Medford Rogues and Harry & David Field to instill that in everybody because I think some of that is lost.” Not lost in the shuffle, however, is the reward Church said he gets out of the camps and clinics. “There’s no better feeling when you see a kid’s eyes light up when they do something that they didn’t know they could do,” said Church. “That’s what I get out of these things, and there’s just nothing like it.” Church said he expects to focus on the proper mechanics needed to be successful, whether a player is throwing, fielding or hitting. He also hopes to instill a certain work ethic and personal expectation that he wishes he had at the same age level. “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard, and I 100 percent agree with that,” said Church. “The reason I’m so strongly passionate about that is because I was the kid with all the talent that didn’t work hard. I didn’t know that until I turned 18 years old and showed up at Stetson University. Not that I was a bad kid or disrespectful or anything, I just didn’t know what I didn’t know.” “I showed up at Stetson mad as heck at why Florida, Miami, Florida State didn’t come after me,” he added. “As soon as I showed up on campus, I knew why. I didn’t have the right work ethic and I didn’t have the right skill-set to compete on a daily basis. That’s what I try to instill in these kids. I want these kids to raise their own expectations because I think if we do that, they’ll answer the bell.” For more information, go to medfordrogues.com and click on the “Camps” link. You can also contact camp coordinator Casey Hudlow at 541-973-2883 or [email protected] Reach reporter Kris Henry at 541-776-4488, [email protected], www.facebook.com/krishenryMT or www.twitter.com/Kris_Henry By Kris Henry Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Kris Henry Mail Tribune Posted May. 13, 2015 at 7:49 PM Updated May 14, 2015 at 4:08 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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