The U.S., being home to the great American sport of baseball, is also home to some of the best baseball camps for high school students. There are several great national level programs for players who wish to become ball players. They include the US Baseball Academy, IMG Baseball Camps, and America’s Baseball Camps. The following is a guide to the best baseball camps for high school student ball players.
The U.S. Baseball Academy
The U.S. Baseball Academy is a nationwide franchise baseball camp geared towards improving the performance of high school student ball players in the U.S. The training involves drills, improving pitching speeds, and repetition. The program runs for six intensive weeks and, during that time, the players get to develop a sense of teamwork, hone their hitting and running skills and heighten their thinking when assessing plays. Pitching, however, is not available for high school level players due to safety reasons. Pitching is available only for players in grades one through eight. The fundamentals of baseball, however, are taught for all level players at the U.S. Baseball Academy. The training at U.S. Baseball Academy happens through small groups where players receive attention and care from their coaches. The six week program tuition starts at $99. There are packages that offer specific skill training sessions for $119. The program offers that are available to players includes recognition of strike zone, gauging timing, agility, improving power, bunts, and hitting according to specific situations.
America’s Baseball Camps
America’s Baseball Camps by SKLZ will take place in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania this year. The players at these camps receive maximum attention during training, and the sessions prove to be intensive. The camp packages are divided into two types. The first is the day camp package where players come to train during the day, but do not stay overnight at the accommodations. The second is the overnight package where trainees share dormitories with other players. This package heightens a sense of camaraderie and team spirit.
Additions are also offered to these packages. There is a professional pitching and swinging instruction where the mechanics of pitching and swinging are analyzed in order to improve the player’s skills in these two fundamental aspects of baseball. Another package addition is the hitting day camp, where players get to spend an entire day simply honing their hitting skills. It begins on July 11th and lasts five intense hours.
The program at America’s Baseball Camps by SKLZ in Pittsburg includes mental prepping for long and intense games, improvement of hand and eye coordination, positioning on the field, throwing, recognizing types of plays, improving catching skills, and situational hitting. Jumping, gripping, footwork, blocking, bunting and delivery are all covered at the camp. The camp requests that players bring the following items in preparation for their training: two pairs of baseball pants, t-shirts, jerseys, socks, shorts for sliding, spikes and/or cleats, a bat, a glove, a helmet, catching gear, jackets and a water bottle. For players who opt for package two and stay overnight, additional items such as toiletries, night wear, bathing suits, tennis and running shoes, pocket money, cell phone and/or calling cards, sunscreen, linens and pillow cases, and, most importantly, a health insurance card are needed.
IMG Baseball Academy
The IMG Baseball Academy is considered the top ten national high school camp for training. IMG Baseball Academy offers year-round camp packages. At IMG Baseball Academy camps, players are taught how to train on specific positions on the field and improve your game in general by being aware of the general aspects of the game. The summer camps that are offered include the high school Wood Bat League where emphasis is placed on skill and development of athletic capability. This package is highly competitive due to the college scout exposure that players receive.
The weekly summer camps at IMG Summer Baseball Camp offer players ranging from ages eight through twenty-two. All aspects of the game are covered here through intense training. Drills and situational playing are also a part of the summer package. There are plenty of intense practices that happen on the field with highly trained coaches on staff.
The three week baseball summer camp at IMG Summer Baseball Camp is specifically designed for freshmen-level high school players, or ages ranging from twelve through fourteen. This summer camp package emphasizes through both the classroom and the field. The mechanics of basics, such as pitching, hitting and catching, are all covered. Drills and practices are basic parts of the training at this camp. The IMG Academies offer high school classes and college preparation courses while the players undergo game training. Mixing high school with baseball camp is a unique way to hone the players’ games and minds.