LYNN — When the January family took over the North Shore Navigators in 2019, one of the main goals that they had in mind was to give back to the local community. After the pandemic put some of those plans on hold for a year, the Navs launched their first youth camp this week with a three-day gathering for kids ages six through 12.
“The main thing we wanted to do is give back to the kids and give them a reason to come out to the ballpark,” said Derek January, who serves as the team’s president and general manager. “We have a lot of high-level, talented players on this team and we want to be able to use them as a conduit to bring fans, and especially kids, out to enjoy the game of baseball.”
The event, which ran Monday through Wednesday at Fraser Field, drew nearly 80 kids and featured Navigators players and coaches running drills and giving lessons each day. While many of the kids at the camp hailed from Swampscott, Lynn and the surrounding towns, kids from as far away as Chelmsford, Andover, Melrose and Wakefield also came to learn from the Navs players.
“We’ve really marketed the team out more and tried to reach as many people as we can, because we’d like to give back to all the people who have given to us over the years,” said January.
January said that the idea was put into motion after a number of Navs players approached him prior to the season and said they’d be interested in helping out with a youth camp. Knowing that the words of a young college player may resonate more with the kids than the words of a coach, January jumped at the opportunity.
“These kids come out and watch these players perform on the field and they’re mesmerized by it, and then they meet them in a clinic and they hang on every word the guys say,” said January. “The guys might be saying the same thing that the kids’ Little League coaches are saying, but the words stick more when they’re coming from a player.”
The camp was a big success in its first year, so much so that January is already planning two camps for next summer — a 6- to 12-year-old camp and a 14- to 17-year-old camp.
At the end of the day, January’s hope is to make the North Shore Navigators and Fraser Field the place to go for young kids and young baseball players for years to come.
“At the end of the day, I’d rather have 500 kids at the ballpark than 500 adults any day,” said January. “I want kids to be able to say that they grew up around the park and the team, and these camps are just one of the many things we have planned to make that a reality.”
The Navigators will play their next game Friday evening (6:30) on the road against the Keene Swamp Bats.
