ROCHESTER — The players of the Old Rochester Youth Baseball League got a masterclass from the Wareham Gatemen on Sunday, July 9 and Gifford Field in Rochester. 

From pre-game stretches to throwing knuckleballs Gatemen players imparted knowledge to Tri-Town players as young as six. 

“The Gatemen are so awesome to us,” said Old Rochester Youth Baseball President Mike Duarte. “They always reach out to the local community, they come down and they put on a free clinic for anyone who participates in [Old Rochester Youth Baseball.]”

Young players were divided into groups based on age and partnered with Gatemen players for pitching and batting drills — getting one-on-one attention when needed. 

“This is awesome … the kids aren’t going to forget this,” said one parent while Gatemen players led the kids through a “home run derby,” a game where two teams of batters compete to knock the most balls out of the park. 

Batting from center field, kids sent balls flying over the back fence. Balls flew so far that one Gatemen player put on a catcher’s mitt and protected parked cars from particularly strong hits. 

“They’re so great with the kids, it’s so nice to see them give back,” said Duate. “And these kids look up to them and it’s a really great experience.”

The Wareham Gatemen will host a series of paid baseball clinics for boys and girls at Spillane Field. The first session will run from Monday, July 10 to Friday, July 14. The second will run from Monday, July 17 to Friday, July 21. The third will run from Monday, July 24 to Friday, July 28. 

Each clinic runs from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. There is a $75 registration fee which includes a t-shirt. Scholarships are available. 

For more information or to register, visit https://gatemen.org/bat-kids/clinics/.