Powell's camp, a rewarding day for the youth

By By Stan Caldwell / EMG Sports Writer
Feb. 9, 2003
COLLINSVILLE The weather was more suited for football, but it was baseball that was on everyone's mind Saturday at the ninth annual Jay Powell Baseball Camp held at West Lauderdale High School.
Powell, the former West Lauderdale and Mississippi State standout who now pitches for the Texas Rangers, send some 150 youngsters in grades 3-8 through the paces of hitting, pitching and defense, with the help of four other baseball pros.
Powell as joined by fellow pros Jason Smith of Tampa Bay, Barry Wesson of Houston, Chad Bradford of the Chicago Cubs and Paul Phillips of Kansas City.
But Powell also got some much-needed help from members of the WLHS baseball team, many of whom passed through the camp when they were younger.
As always, Rush Hospital of Meridian served as sponsor for the event, with all proceeds going to Hope Village for Children.
Unlike some camps of its nature, Powell's camp stresses a close working relationship with the youngsters. Kids get a chance to hear from real live big-leaguers, and parents appreciate the time they spend with the children.
The response from the community speaks volumes to the commitment the West Lauderdale community has to baseball, said long-time Knights coach Jerry Boatner.
Boatner has led West to 10 state baseball championships, but he said an encounter similar to the one the area youngsters experienced Saturday may well have been what set him on the path to success.
And the youngsters certainly ate up everything they heard from the big-leaguers.
For some parents, their first experience with the camp seems to have been a positive one.
Campers braved a chilly day that saw the temperature hover around the 35-degree mark for most of the day. But that didn't scare off these dedicated players.