The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) successfully concluded the 'T-Ball Camp Through Baseball,' which has now entered its third year.
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) held the 'T-Ball Camp Through Baseball' on the 17th and 18th at the KBO Baseball Center in Hoengseong County, Gangwon Province. The T-Ball Camp aims to allow students who wanted to try playing baseball to indirectly experience the sport of baseball through T-ball, which is a lead-up sport to baseball, at a real baseball field.
This year, 100 families comprising one elementary school student and one guardian, totaling 200 participants, took part in the camp. Participants received T-shirts, caps, T-ball gloves, and T-balls from their supporting teams. Additionally, legends from the 10 KBO League teams served as instructors, representing their teams. Those legends included Kang In-kwon from NC, Heo Moon-hwa from Lotte, Shin Myung-chul from KT, Ryu Ji-hyun from LG, Jo Gye-hyun from Kia, Kwon Oh-joon from Samsung, Jang Won-jin from Doosan, Kim Kang-min from SSG, Jang Jong-hoon from Hanwha, and Shin Jae-young from Kiwoom.
Jo Gye-hyun, KBO’s Strengthening Committee Chair, represented the legends present at the event and noted, 'The KBO has been conducting the T-ball camp for three years now. For us in baseball, it’s really great to see the affection and love of families who enjoy our sport.' He added, 'The legends have taken valuable time out of their day today. While it’s only a short two-day camp, I hope everyone spends good time with the legends, creating cherished memories while staying healthy and having fun.'
This year's T-ball camp added new programs that differ from previous years. On the first day of the camp, a Run-and-Throw competition was held, where teams completed missions such as playing catch and bingo around the field. Lotte showcased perfect collaboration and won the competition.
Kim Seung-tae and Kim Do-yoon, who represented the Lotte team in the winning interview, expressed, 'We are so happy and thrilled to have won.' Kim Seung-tae noted, 'I'm on parental leave, and there’s only about a week left. My child is a huge fan of the Lotte Giants and really loves baseball, so as soon as I saw the recruitment notice, I applied right away. The competition was fierce, but I feel like my wish has come true now that I was selected. We are having such a great time.'
'The program is fantastic, and I feel like we can create even better memories than going on a trip somewhere,' said Kim Seung-tae. 'Manager Heo Moon-hwa is also from Busan and is a senior from my hometown, so I was really happy to see him. I’m so happy to have heard many great words from him today,' he added with a smile. Kim Do-yoon also shared, 'I was worried about when my dad and I could go on a trip together since his parental leave is almost over, but I’m really glad we came to this T-ball camp, where we also got to win prizes and make many memories.'
On the second day of the camp, finals for the Home Run King tournament and T-ball tournament took place. In the Home Run King tournament, Nam Guk-jin and his daughter Nam Yoon-ji, who qualified from Doosan, won the championship. Nam Guk-jin said, 'I never expected to win, but thanks to my daughter doing well, I felt empowered and hit well.' Nam Yoon-ji remarked, 'I couldn’t hit well during practice with my dad, but I did so well today, and I’m really thankful.'
Nam Yoon-ji, despite being a female player, showcased impressive distance and said, 'I’m part of the T-ball team at school. That’s why I participated in this T-ball camp. It was so exhilarating to perform well in the Home Run King tournament today. I think I hit especially well today.' Nam Guk-jin expressed, 'There aren’t many opportunities to go on trips with my daughter, so I’m really thankful to the KBO. I hope to see more events like this.'
In the T-ball tournament, KT secured victory by defeating Kiwoom 9-8 in the finals. In an interview representing KT fans, Im Gi-yeol and his daughter Im Jeong-won expressed, 'We didn’t expect to win. However, with the determination to do our best until the end, we worked together with friends on defense and offense, and it felt great to win.'
Im Gi-yeol said, 'My child didn't really like baseball. So I brought them here to get them familiar with it, but it seems not only did they get to know baseball, but it also became an opportunity for the father and daughter to connect. There aren’t many chances for us to go on trips together. I could come thanks to the great opportunity provided by the KBO. The accommodation and meals were also well provided, which was wonderful.' He continued, 'You did well, my daughter. I love you,' conveying heartfelt emotions to his daughter, who completed the camp safely. Im Jeong-won responded, 'I love you, Dad.'
At the closing ceremony, KBO President Heo Koo-young visited the camp, extending congratulations and gratitude to fans who completed the camp. He urged continued support for Korean baseball and the KBO League.
The T-Ball Camp Through Baseball was able to take place with the support of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation. Additionally, Hoengseong County provided the Hoengseong KBO Baseball Center as the camp location, and Dong-A Otsuka supported participants’ hydration needs with Pocari Sweat and bottled water. The KBO plans to hold a second camp at the KBO Baseball Center in Boeun County, Chungcheongbuk-do, in September.
[OSEN]