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Astros catcher J.R. Towles helps kids with their swing Tuesday while conducting a hitting camp at LoneStar Baseball Academy in Baytown, Texas. (Photo by Stephen Goff)
BAYTOWN, Texas -- Astros catcher J.R. Towles joined Kade Johnson and Daniel Cox Tuesday at LoneStar Baseball Academy in Baytown, Texas, for a hitting camp geared toward helping kids improve their swing, as well as defensive fundamentals.
Astros right-hander Chris Sampson and Johnson, who played professionally in the Milwaukee Brewers organization, own and operate the academy, which focuses on teaching kids how to play the game the right way through private lessons and instructional clinics featuring professional ballplayers.
"It's been a dream to give back to the community where we grew up," Sampson said. "We teach the motto 'all it takes, is all you've got.' We're trying to reach out to kids and show them what it takes to achieve their goals."
During the four-hour camp, Towles, Johnson and Cox educated the kids with a positive message regarding baseball, school and life by utilizing informative lectures and an assortment of drills.
"This is a great opportunity for me to give back and make a difference for kids," Towles said. "I went to several camps growing up and I had great support from my parents in pursuing my baseball dreams. It's my chance to give some lessons and teach the kids how to play the game right."
For the first half of the camp, participants sharpened their hitting skills by taking cuts off a tee while receiving feedback from Towles, Johnson and Cox. The trio made it a point to work with each kid with the purpose of building muscle memory in the batter's box.
"Baseball is a complex sport, but we try to simply it," Cox said. "We teach how to do little things the right way. Each time you do it correctly, it gets much easier to transition when you get older. Our goal is to guide the kids down the right path."
After hitting off the tee, the participants focused on learning defensive fundamentals, especially the proper mechanics in fielding ground balls. Through repetition, Towles, Johnson and Cox instructed the kids on how to get in front of the ball and keep their gloves down.
At the end of camp, Towles and Cox threw batting practice in the cage in order to give the kids an opportunity to apply what they learned earlier from hitting off the tee to actual at-bats.
Johnson monitored the pitching machine for the younger kids and provided one-on-one instruction on how to make additional improvements.
"We try to hold the integrity of our academy's name through our instructors," Johnson said. "Chris (Sampson) and I had this idea of opening a school and now it's become a reality. We have big league players on hand to teach kids on how to play the game. The purpose is to keep kids involved and stay active."
Upon the conclusion of the event, Towles signed autographs and was available for pictures and answering additional questions. With Spring Training on the horizon in February, Towles likes what he sees in manager Brad Mills.
"I've talked on the phone with Mills," Towles said. "He's a great guy who knows how to win. Being from Boston, he'll bring that winning mindset to Houston. We're happy as a team to have him in the organization and look forward to growing with him as a cohesive group next season."
The competition among Towles, Humberto Quintero and 2008 first-round pick Jason Castro for the starting job behind the plate figures to be one of the most intriguing stories this Spring.
"I plan to go out and do the best I can," Towles said. "I've been working really hard this offseason on getting better and look forward to 2010. It's a good coaching staff and we're all excited to get out there and win ballgames."
Sampson and Washington Nationals right-hander Garrett Mock will be on hand Wednesday at LoneStar Baseball Academy from 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., for a pitching camp for kids between the ages of 8-15.
As part of the camp, Sampson and Mock intend to teach pitching techniques and arm care, while special guest Dennis Fay from Texas Sports Medicine in Tomball, Texas will conduct speed and agility training, as well as strength and conditioning.
"Dennis (Fay) is great," Sampson said. "He's my trainer during the offseason and does a phenomenal job in conditioning athletes."
Since registration has already passed for Wednesday's pitching camp, LoneStar will accept walk-up registration for all interested participants prior to noon (cash or credit only).
The fee is $100.
"We want the kids to come on out, feel welcomed and learn from two big league pitchers and an exceptional strength and conditioning coach," Sampson added. "We're a family here and it's all about having fun, doing your best and playing the game of baseball."
For more information on LoneStar Baseball Academy, visit www.lonestarbat.com.
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