As baseball clinics go, George Whitfield's annual gathering for youth and high school players and coaches stands out with its longevity and its lengthy list of visiting instructors. (Check out the list below.)
The 37th edition of the annual event will take place Jan. 10 at Goldsboro High School, bringing in a variety of area college and high school coaches plus major league and minor league players and staff.
Putting together the program looks like an organizational feat itself. And the potential instruction for young players and their coaches looks like a home run.
Whitfield is a former N.C. High School Athletic Association board member and
a member of the NCHSAA Hall of Fame.
TB
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Here's the event news release:
Annual Whitfield Baseball Clinic Is January 10 In Goldsboro
GOLDSBORO -- The baseball clinic run by North Carolina High
School Athletic Association Hall of Famer George Whitfield is set for its
37th annual renewal.
The clinic is scheduled for Goldsboro High School on aturday, January 10. 2009, and features another tremendous lineup.
Registration is scheduled from 7:30 to 9:15 a.m, and then the clinic will
run until 6 p.m.
The clinic is open to all players from Little League hrough high school, and all coaches at any level are welcome.
Bobby Richardson, former New York Yankee great, will be the kickoff speaker at 9:20, followed by NCHSAA assistant executive director Mark Dreibelbis, who will discuss the 2009 baseball rule changes.
Here are some of the other outstanding baseball people and
topics that will be covered at this annual event:
• “What College Coaches and Scouts Are Looking for in
Today’s Players” will be discussed by Vanderbilt assistant coach Erik
Bakich, Campbell head coach Greg Goff, Virginia director of strength and
conditioning Ed Nordenschild, Mount Olive College assistant Rob Watt and
East Carolina assistant athletic trainer Zach Womack;
•”Practice Organization for the High School Coach” will
include Charleston Southern head coach Stuart Lake and Virginia assistant
Kevin McMullan;
• "Indoor and On-Field Drills To Become a Better High
School Player” will be discussed by Atlanta Braves area supervisor Billy
Best, former major league manager Dave Bristol, and East Carolina head coach
Billy Godwin;
• Pitching will be covered by High Point head coach Craig
Cozart, North Carolina assistant coach Scott Forbes, East Carolina assistant
Bill Jarman, minor league pitcher Sam Narron with the Milwaukee Brewers at
the AAA level, Virginia Commonwealth assistant Shawn Stiffler;
• Catching will feature Toronto Blue Jays minor league
manager Clayton McCullough, Louisburg assistant Tony Guzzo, North Carolina
assistant Matt McCay, Wingate head coach Allen Osborne, and Coastal Carolina
assistant Kevin Schnall;
• Infield play instructors will be retired Central Florida
head coach Jay Bergman, North Carolina State assistant Chris Hart, North
Hall (Ga) High School head coach Trent Mongero, Myrtle Beach Pelican manager
Rocket Wheeler and UNC-Wilmington head coach Mark Scalf;
• Outfield play will be covered by Duke assistant Jonathan
Anderson, Atlanta Braves major league crosschecker Paul Faulk, Boston
College assistant coach Joe Hastings, Mount Olive head coach Carl Lancaster,
East Carolina assistant Ben Sanderson;
• Hitting will be discussed by Central Florida assistant
coach Cliff Godwin, former major league player Tim Hyers, East Carolina
assistant Link Jarrett, Alabama-Birmingham assistant Ron Polk, and N.C.
State assistant Brian Ward;
• Baserunning will include East Carolina director of
baseball operations Brian Cavanaugh, Coastal Carolina head coach Gary
Gilmore, Baltimore Orioles bench coach Dave Jauss, Liberty assistant coach
Nick Schnabel, and South Florida assistant coach Bryant Ward.
Coach Whitfield will mail information to schools across the state right before Thanksgiving. Questions about the clinic, including cost and other information, may be directed to George at (919) 778-6013.
