Mission Valley M's teach kids the game

Mission Valley Mariner Tyson Petticrew vividly recalls when he was learning to become a Mariner by attending day camps of former Mariners he wanted to be like.

Petticrew said he remembers being an 8-year-old at the one-day Mission Valley Mariners’ camp that he is now an instructor for that happened Sunday at Mission Valley Mariners’ Stadium in Polson.

“I remember when I was their age and I was young and didn’t know how to play baseball,” Petticrew said. “All the players that are now past Mariners wanted to teach me when I was young.”

Petticrew could ramble off the Mariners he learned the game from as if he was listing his favorite baseball cards: Kyle Bagnell, Tug Reynolds, and Robbie Gouthier.

“I learned a lot because they cared about the younger players in the Valley and they wanted us to develop into the same position that we are in now,” Petticrew, now a left-handed pitcher and CF for the M’s, said.

This year, the camp drew 40 kids on a unseasonably cold and windy Sunday at Mission Valley Mariners Stadium in Polson.

“Getting that many kids out is awesome,” Gillingham said. “Having 40 kids turn out is pretty successful in my book.”

The M’s newly appointed manager Kaleb Gillingham, who will replace former M’s manager Jami Hanson, said the one day camp focuses on the basic fundamental elements of baseball.

“We like to really focus on fielding balls properly and not being scared of the ball at this age,” Gillingham said. “We do that by rolling the ball to them and allowing them to gain confidence to field ground balls.”

Gillingham said they also placed an emphasis on the basic mechanics of hitting.

“Hitting is a big part of baseball,” Gillingham said. “If you can’t hit the ball, you can’t score runs. You have to be able to be smart when you are at the plate.”

Gillingham said he knows one key element to introducing the game of baseball is “fun.”

“Having fun is a big part of these camps,” Gillingham said. “If they aren’t having fun with baseball now, then it will be virtually impossible for them to have fun playing the game when they get older.”

Gillingham said he really likes the interaction with younger players in the Valley as him and his Mariners prepare for another 50-game season this summer travelling all over the state of the Montana.

Gillingham said he felt the kids really gain a lot of value from all of the various fundamentals they reviewed during camp including: fielding, catching, and hitting. Gillingham said he felt the camp was an opportunity for his team to connect with another generation of future Mission Valley Mariners players in the valley, and create the foundation for future M’s players.

“I think the camp is great to be connected with the younger generation and keep our name out there,” Gillingham said. “It’s telling kids to come to the game and help keep up the legacy of the Mariners.”