New Letter (Created by Mike)

Dear Families,

We are gearing up for our 24th summer of Home Run Baseball Camp at Friendship Recreation Center June 5 through Labor Day. Players of any experience level ages 4-12 welcome. You can find complete registration and more details at homerunbaseballcamp.com or call 202 726 8311.

As you may know the new building renovation at Friendship is expected to open in mid to late June. For the first few weeks of camp we will have access to temporary shelter and bathrooms and access to AU’s athletic facility in case of severe weather.

We have a full coed coaching staff of over 20 made up of a majority of camp alums. Dan Thorner (full time teacher at Beauvoir), Julia Hiemstra (U. Vermont ’19) and Michelle Parker Brown (Iona ’19) will be running the camp every day. I will also be there. Parents and players can expect my coaches to treat them with respect, courtesy, kindness and responsiveness at all times. I ask my coaches and players only two questions every day: How hard did you work and How did you treat people?

Safety is our top priority. Our campers are supervised at all times. We have access to bottled water at every field and are introducing a new fully stocked sunscreen station. We are also going to sit down as a camp at 11:30am and have lunch in the shade. We are also grateful to Washington’s Assistant Chief of Police (Ret) Rodney Parks, Sergeant (Ret) Steffen Allen and US Border Patrol Chief David Sturm for their consistent, diligent counsel and personal involvement in making our camp as safe as we can make it. 

Our daily schedule features early courtesy drop-off at 8:00am with camp starting at 9:00am. After our brief morning pep talk we break into groups by age not ability. We believe in long rounds of volume repetition ground balls, fly balls and throwing drills. We play two games day with fair teams. We have full aftercare from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm.

We also have use of AU’s field along Massachusetts Avenue for most of the summer for our older players. We also are proud to have the JUGS Co. come on board as our main sponsor allowing us to bring the best baseball equipment and supplies to our players. 

I created HRBC to be a camp my brothers and I would have enjoyed attending growing up. Coaches who were good role models, technically sound, encouraging, fair and treated us with respect. A zero-negativity zone where ballplayers could show up day after day and improve. A place that welcomed ballplayers from all over the area from every economic level.

Thousands of players have come through HRBC over the years. Some have played in the College World Series and reached the Major Leagues. Some went on to play pro football. Others went on to become doctors, teachers, members of the United States Armed Services and Fulbright Scholars and many other fields. Here’s a few former players and coaches taking the field this spring:

  • Ben Furlong and Jack Wallis: Haverford
  • Rhett Stuart: Emory
  • Drew Reid: Harvard
  • Joe Greenberg: Oberlin
  • Will Gibson: Gettysburg
  • Devin Rivera: Coppin State
  • Sebastian Sanchez: Middlebury
  • Alex and Cyrus Beschloss: Williams

Here’s a few facts to consider when considering our camp. 

  • We have had players visit the emergency room five times in 24 years. Each player was discharged that day. Our goal is to not have another visit.
  • We have never had a player hospitalized for a heat related injury. 
  • We offer full refunds no questions asked to anyone not satisfied with our camp. We average about four a year. 
  • We have never turned down a full scholarship request in 24 years.

My entire team is at your service if we can be of any help. You can reach us at 202 726 8311 or homerunbaseballcamp.com I am also available anytime to answer your questions. My direct cell is 202 230 2206 or coachmac@homerunbaseballcamp.com

Thanks for all your support over the years.  

 

All the best and see you this summer!  

John