Eastlake's Classic Park frequently hosts concerts and other events and is home to the Lake County Captains.
The Lake County Captains, class A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians, kick off their new Baseball Academy with a holiday skills camp for children ages 7-14. The camp runs Dec. 26, 27 and 28 and features two age divisions.
Children ages 7 to 10 can hone their skills from noon to 2 p.m. each day. Children ages 11 to 14 have the run of the Captains' 4,000-square-foot indoor field house from 3 to 5 p.m. Day one focuses on defensive skills, day two is devoted to pitching and catching, and young athletes can work on their batting technique on day three.
Children can register for one session or all three. The cost for a single day is $50, two days run $95 and the entire three-day camp is $135. Registration forms can be downloaded from the Captains website. Openings for the camp are limited.
Instructors for the camp include T.J. Donovan, director of the Captains Baseball Academy, Chris Check and Alex Lavisky. Donovan was a standout in baseball and football at St. Ignatius High School and spent five years as a pitcher with the Philadelphia Phillies organization. More recently he worked as director of operations at Westlake's Diamond Indoor Sports. Check coaches at Baldwin-Wallace College and is an associate scout for the Indians. Lavisky led St. Edward's High School to a pair of state baseball titles and is currently the Captains starting catcher.
According to the Captains website, the mission of the new academy is "to be a positive resource for players, coaches, and teams in northeast Ohio, who wish to enhance their athletic experience through a professional, courteous and experienced staff."
Captains Baseball Academy plans to offer camps, clinics and lessons for individuals, groups and teams of various ages and skill levels. The new organization will also stage tournaments and showcases. In addition, the academy intends to establish a travel team, with tryouts occurring from July 20 to Aug. 15 of next year.
The academy enjoys access to indoor batting cages and pitching mounds, the Captains strength training facility, the field at Classic Park and more.
For further information about Captains Baseball Academy, call Donovan at 440-975-8085, ext. 132.