Booneville, Miss. - The Northeast Mississippi Community College softball program will unofficially begin its new campaign with a trio of camps to help local standouts prepare for their respective seasons.
The Tigers will welcome dozens of youngsters ranging from youth league to high school athletes for their annual winter clinics on Saturday, February 4 at David Carnell Memorial Field.
Three separate sessions are scheduled for the fifteenth edition of this event. Players will receive instruction from veteran headman Jody Long and first-year assistant coach Kevin Connell as well as current members of Northeast's roster.
The day begins bright and early at 8 a.m. with a defense all-skills camp. It is designed to cover throwing mechanics and drills to help improve strengths across the diamond.
The focus shifts to offense from 10:15 a.m. through noon with a hitting clinic. Fundamentals of batting and bunting are the focal point of this session, but advanced techniques and practice routines will also be discussed.
After a one-hour break for lunch, pitchers and catchers take the field from 1:30-3:30 p.m. for a camp dedicated solely to the battery mates. These two crucial positions will be broken into separate groups to grasp the basic procedures of how to better their command.
Each clinic is open to athletes in the first-through-twelfth grades. Registration is available through the day of the event at a cost of $50 per camp, $75 for any two or $100 for all three sessions.
Participants are expected to bring their own equipment, which includes but is not limited to athletic apparel, tennis shoes, cleats, a glove, a bat and a helmet. Softballs will be provided at the stadium.
These proceedings will move to the Tigers' indoor practice facility at the armory complex in the case of inclement weather. It is located near the north entrance to Booneville City Park and at the west end of Coach Billy Ward Drive.
To sign up, please CLICK HERE and completely fill out the form that is available to print. Please make checks payable to Northeast Softball Camp and send by mail to Northeast Softball Winter Clinics, Attn: Coach Jody Long, 101 Cunningham Blvd., Booneville, Miss., 38829.
Northeast opens its 2017 season three days later on Tuesday, February 7 against Blue Mountain College's junior varsity squad. First pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m. in the City of Hospitality.
For more information about the 2017 Northeast Softball Winter Clinics, contact Long at 662-720-7305 or by email at jwlong@nemcc.edu or Connell at 662-720-7218 or by email at klconnell@nemcc.edu.