Youngsters gain more knowledge attending Falcons Softball Camp

LA CRESCENTA — From behind third base to the left-field foul pole, a group of campers began to loosen up on the first day of the second annual Falcons Softball Camp.

The contingent of about 25 was greeted by Crescenta Valley High Coach Amanda Peek, along with current and former Crescenta Valley players on hand to work with the campers on an assortment of drills during the three-day event on the school’s softball field.

It began with some soft toss before the campers began to throw about 60 feet apart.

“It’s just one of the first drills we like to do in order to set the tone,” said Peek, who guided Crescenta Valley to a tie for second place with Glendale in the Pacific League and a trip to the CIF Southern Section Division III playoffs last season. “They get some time to loosen up and then we put them in different stations where they can work on different things.

“It’s mostly about having as much variety as possible while they pick up more on the fundamentals. With the throwing drill, it’s just about picking up the rotation of the ball and knowing how to properly grip and throw it.”

The camp, designed for ages 7-13, began Wednesday and will conclude Friday. Most of the campers were from La Crescenta and Glendale.

Peek, a former All-Area, All-CIF, Cal-Hi Sports All-State and All-Pacific League selection, roamed around the diamond to watch the progress of each participant.

Peek said the camp consists of athletes of all skill levels, some of whom attended the camp last summer. A little less than half the campers attended the event for the first time.

“It’s good to see some of these people back again and it’s great to see others coming out for the first time because they all love softball,” said Peek, who graduated from Crescenta Valley in 2004 before playing at Cal State Northridge. “They have people they can look up to and they get excited about coming here and being ready to learn.

“We go about doing different things from breaking down hitting to working on infield defense. We throw in some agility drills to help them with their base running. On the last day, we have a scrimmage so they have a much better idea of what they are doing well at and what they need to keep working on.”

Pitchers Jaya Hankins and Stephanie Wichman appeared at the camp for the second time. Both are students at Rosemont Middle School in La Crescenta.

Hankins, 13, attended the camp again to work on her mechanics.

“I’ve been playing softball for a long time,” she said. “You just try to tune up some things, like knowing how to throw the ball and then being able to field the position.”

Wichman, 13, shared a similar point of view about the camp.

“I learned so much coming here last year and I figured it would be a good idea to come back,” Wichman said. “I want to get better with my defense, but I also want to improve on pitching and hitting.

“It’s nice to come out here and get a different perspective on the right way to play. They are here to help me get better.”

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Charles Rich, charles.rich@latimes.com

Twitter: @TCNCharlesRich