Toronto Blue Jays bringing academy to St. John’s

It won’t be long until many young ballplayers in this province get the chance to spread their wings with the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Jays are bringing their TBJ Academy and everything that comes with it to the province's east coast for a series of clinics in St. John’s, Paradise and Upper Island Cove.

Those clinics will run from July 23-26.

“Having these clinics taught exclusively by the Blue Jays Baseball Academy instructors ... it just offers another element that we can offer,” said St. John’s Minor Baseball executive director David Lahey. “It's another opportunity for anybody who wants to avail of it.”

HELPING OUT

In St. John’s, the Jays will run clinics in several different areas.

They will host a girls’ clinic and a showcase for older players, along with a youth clinic, a Rally Cap clinic (under 5 to under 8) and a Challenger Baseball clinic.

Most of the sessions will be held at Wishingwell Park, but St. Pat’s Ball Park and the Edgar Hartery Memorial Field will also be used.

In Paradise and Upper Island Cove, they’ll have a youth clinic run for them for young athletes in their areas.

In Paradise, that clinic will take place at Peter Barry Duff Field on July 26, while the CBN Ball Park will host the session in Upper Island Cove on July 24.

“Over the last couple of years when we didn’t have the Jays come in, I’ve had a lot of inquiries, so we’re really excited to have the Jays come and put off a clinic in our community,” said Paradise Minor Baseball president Sam Oliver. “I think it is something that is really going to generate interest in baseball and help grow the sport.”

NO KID LEFT BEHIND

Lahey says a big part of the program is the idea that any child, no matter their skill level, will have the opportunity to check out a clinic.

Access to sports is an issue that many organizations are tackling as they look to get as many children into sports as they can.

Lahey sees the Jays Academy as having that in mind.

“It's really, there's no child left behind,” he said. “There's something for everybody available. It's something that could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for somebody, but the fact that no kid is left behind is really a beautiful thing when it comes to this Blue Jays Academy.”

Registration information for the clinics can be found online at bluejays.com/academyweek.