Mets Host Baseball Clinic
BY DAN MILLER

Mets Pitcher Carlos Muniz, Outfielder Endy Chavez and Mets' mascot Mr. Met joined boys and girls from the Long Island City YMCA for an afternoon of batting and fielding instruction on a ballfield at Queensbridge Park.

On Friday August 8 New York Mets Pitcher Carlos Muniz and Outfielder Endy Chavez and the team mascot, Mr. Met, hosted a baseball clinic at Queensbridge Park in the shadows of the Queensboro Bridge for the Junior Mets--more than 80 kids from the Long Island City YMCA. The clinic, which lasted about an hour, was interrupted by rain but that didn't dampen the spirits of the children who were excited to see local professional ballplayers.

Muniz, Chavez and Mr. Met demonstrated how to hit and field. T Ball stands were set up at the park and some children took turns hitting off the T while others played on the field. Both players, who were friendly and patient, took time to work with the participants on their hitting and throwing fundamentals. Chavez pointed out that the kids looked very disciplined. "When I was doing the hitting drill I noticed that they were very focused," he commented.

After the skills part of the clinic, the players fielded questions from a number of the participants. The players spoke to the children about exercise and following good eating habits to keep healthy. The kids then asked questions about the Mets and the players. "I was a product of the YMCA while I was growing up in Los Angeles," Muniz recounted. "I remember being taken to a Los Angeles Dodgers game and I got to meet Erik Karros and Tod Hollingsworth. Being an old Dodger fan and being raised in the city it really meant a lot [to meet an actual ballplayer]." Muniz also has fond memories of the YMCA camp he attended as a kid. "Everything about that camp was positive," said Muniz. He added, "It meant a lot for me to come to the Y and to do some one on one drills and teach skills to the kids."

Chavez, on the other hand, said he never had such an experience as a youngster. "Not even close. I never had an experience of meeting a player like that," he said. He was pleased to help give the LIC Y kids the kind of experience he never had.

Mr. Met, as always, drew big crowds. The children wanted to get close to him and get a chance to touch him. One child said "I had a great time today. It was so much fun to meet and be coached by real players." Another child said, "This was one of the best days of my life."

The Junior Mets program is operated by the YMCA of Greater New York in collaboration with the New York Mets and sponsor National Grid. The program operates at ten locations throughout New York City and will serve almost 1,200 children this year. It is an eight-week youth baseball program that emphasizes the importance of having fun and playing baseball while also developing athletic and social skills, practicing the YMCA's core values of respect, responsibility, honesty and caring, as well as learning about health and wellness. Overall, the program aims to build competence and confidence in youth to enhance their self-esteem. Good sportsmanship, teamwork and fair play are the themes around which all practices and games are conducted.