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***image1***Eleven-year-old Cody Prince knows that the fall season designates the beginning of the highly successful KMC Ambassadors’ program. And, for the first time, Cody will be training with the Majors (11-12 year-olds).
“I have attended the program for the last two years because my dad is a coach but this year will be the first year that I can train with the majors, so I’m really looking forward to that,” Cody said. “I love baseball and we get a lot done in the gym, it is so much fun.” The Ambassadors is a program that was designed to develop fundamental skills, to teach teamwork and to broaden the player’s understanding of the game, said Tech. Sgt. Steve Pecht, vice president of Baseball for the Ambassadors.
“These kids are starved for additional practice and instruction,” he said. “We love that we can fill that void with something so constructive.” The Ambassadors also have a softball side to provide young ladies with the opportunity to improve their softball skills during the off-season. The team focuses on techniques and mechanics of throwing, hitting and catching. The girls also work on physical conditioning and stretching to help protect from injury.
In 2006, two girls KMC teams went to the Little League World Series and one team went this year. “This program will help players improve and provides them a better competitive chance at the next levels,” said Capt. Randy Pletzer. “We’ve really made strides in the last few years.”
The Ambassadors is free and open to all Department of Defense dependents in the KMC between the ages of 8 and 18. Sign ups for 12 and under baseball will be at noon, Sunday at Ramstein American Middle School gym.
Practices will begin Oct. 21. Specific practice times will be announced during sign ups. Cody Prince said all the practice pays off.
“We are going to Belgium and Holland to play in a couple of tournaments,” he said. “Traveling with the Ambassadors is going to be a blast. I know the practice will help us in the tournaments.”
For more information about KMC Ambassadors Baseball program, call Master Sgt. Ed Prince at 480-2262 or e-mail don.prince@ramstein.af.mil. For information on the softball program, contact Capt. Randy Pletzer at 478-7715, 06372-50-7407 or randyplet@juno.com.
