Play Ball! JLD Baseball Camp Brings Love for Game to Local Youth
Holyoke, Mass. - Brothers Eric and Jono Robert developed a passion for baseball while growing up in Holyoke. Building that same passion in community youth is one mission of the JLD Baseball Camp which takes place July 7-9.
Jonathan “Jono” Robert had an idea to create a baseball training facility to encourage youth interested in a game that meant so much to him. When Jono unexpectedly passed away in 2021, Eric chose to move forward with their brother’s dream starting with a baseball camp in his honor.
Jono & Eric Robert
JLD stands for “J’s Lion’s Den,” a nod to Jono’s fondness for lions and baseball always being a part of his life.
“Baseball was his den, his second home,” Eric said. “I want to fulfill what he came to me and proposed.”
Both brothers were passionate about Holyoke sports, so reinvigorating the community’s interest in sports is something Eric knows his brother would have wanted.
“The main goal is to help youth really fall in love with baseball like I did by teaching them the proper mechanics of the game while having fun.
Building Fundamentals
The three-day camp starts on July 7 and takes place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Crosier Field in Holyoke. The camp is open to people from any community, although Holyoke residents receive a discounted rate to encourage local youth interest in baseball.
JLD Baseball Camp is open to those aged 7-15. Volunteers leading the camp are baseball coaches and players who have excelled in the sport.
Photo by Ben Hershey
“I just want to give the kids an idea of what they can do and how far they can make it in the game of baseball if they really put the work in,” Eric said. He knows the camp will give youth resources to learn the basics of baseball while developing their skills.
“It’s something that wasn’t as easily available or affordable when I was their age,” Eric said.
Over his lifetime, Eric has seen a decrease in sports interest and resources in the area.
“We don’t want it to keep dropping,” he said. In the future, following his brother’s dream, he hopes to create an affordable all-sports facility for community youth.
Swing for the Fences
Eric is using the Stand Out Truck® to advertise the event, which he feels is a perfectly appropriate means to attract and engage youth.
“They just see a big screen on wheels and automatically look at it,” he said. “Nowadays everybody’s looking at screens whether it’s on a phone or tablet, so they just see another big screen.”
He realized the truck’s potential impact and interest when he saw it in action, congratulating a local basketball team. The image attracted a lot of attention with people vying to get their picture in front of the truck.
With the JLD Baseball Camp as a first step, Eric hopes to build awareness and excitement for sports in Holyoke. Registration for the camp is available until the morning of July 7.
Each participant of the camp receives a jersey from New England Sports and Apparel. Everyone will have the opportunity to win prizes, which include customized wooden bats courtesy of Rutto Bats LLC. Food and ice cream trucks will be on site throughout the day for lunch and snack options, or youth may bring their own food.
Register online here.
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