By Dan Marshall

Minor Baseball coaching conference and players clinic comes to Nanoose Bay

Feb 3, 2017 | 10:36 AM

NANOOSE BAY — February hasn’t exactly brought baseball weather, but it has brought a minor baseball coaching and players event to the central island.

Friday through Sunday the Vancouver Island Coaches Conference and Players Clinic will be held at the Arbutus Meadows Event Centre in Nanoose Bay.

Twelve year MLB veteran Trot Nixon is among the guest instructors, and so is Nanaimo minor baseball grad Mike Griffin – who is also the head coach of the Czech national team.

Nixon was on the 2004 Boston Red Sox team that broke ‘the curse’ and won the World Series.

Nanaimo Minor Baseball President Michael Holyk says Friday’s opening coaching session is a certification called the NCCP, which is a requirement for coaches.

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“Saturday an Sunday is an old fashioned coaching clinic where the coaches are going to provide some best practices around all the different fundamentals of the game,” said Holyk. 

The expectation is that 60-80 coaches will take part in the final two days of the clinic.

As for the players Holyk hopes to see 30-40 kids per session.

Those start at 5 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m. Saturday, and 8:30 a.m Sunday.

“The kids will get an opportunity to work with ex big league players and coaches with international experience who have been doing it for a long time. So they’re going to get some special instruction,” said Holyk.

The expectation is that Nanaimo Minor Baseball will have 620 players for the upcoming season between the ages of five and 18.

Holyk notes that most teams will have two to three coaches which mean they’ll need about 60-80 coaches to handle the load.

Full information for players and coaches is available at http://www.bcminorbaseball.org/clubs/4763.

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Weekend Sports Schedule

BCHL

Clippers vs Penticton – Friday 7 p.m. Frank Crane Arena
Clippers @ Alberni Valley – Saturday 7 p.m. Weyerhauser Arena

VIJHL

Buccaneers @ Oceanside – Saturday 7:30 p.m. Oceanside Place

BCMML

Silvertips @ Kootenay Ice – Saturday 4 p.m. Trail Memorial Centre
Silvertips @ Kootenay Ice – Sunday 9:45 a.m. Trail Memorial Centre

PACWEST

Mariners Women’s Volleyball vs Capilano – Friday 6 p.m. VIU Gymnasium (CANCELLED)
Mariners Men’s Volleyball vs Capilano – Friday 8 p.m. VIU Gymnasium (CANCELLED)
Mariners Women’s Volleyball vs Capilano – Saturday 1 p.m. VIU Gymnasium
Mariners Men’s Volleyball vs Capilano – Saturday 3 p.m. VIU Gymnasium

Mariners Women’s Basketball @ Langara – Friday 6 p.m. Langara Gymnasium
Mariners Men’s Basketball @ Langara – Friday 8 p.m. Langara Gymnasium
Mariners Women’s Basketball @ Quest – Saturday 1 p.m. Quest Gymnasium
Mariners Men’s Basketball @ Quest – Saturday 3 p.m. Quest Gymnasium

VISL

Nanaimo United FC vs Gorge FC – Saturday 7 p.m. Merle Logan Field

dan.marshall@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @danmarshall77