BASEBALL in Guyana took a giant leap forward yesterday with the graduation of twenty-five certified coaches who successfully completed the Noble House Seafoods-sponsored Baseball Guyana Coaching Education Course.

All of the graduating coaches were presented with a complete coaching bag, each containing bats, gloves, balls, safety equipment and other coaching aids to enable the spread of the game nationally.
The course was provided by USA Baseball through its partnership with the National Federation of State High School Associations, for its coaching education programme, ‘Fundamentals of Coaching Baseball.’
The programme, which was announced in December 2012, is part of USA Baseball’s emphasis on coaching education and growing the game of baseball both domestically and internationally.
“USA Baseball through its partnership with the NFHS is proud to present this opportunity to the coaches of Guyana,” said USA Baseball Senior Director of Development, Rick Riccobono.
“As baseball continues to grow both in Guyana and around the world, we are confident that the ‘Fundamentals of Coaching Baseball’ can be a tremendous resource for coaches, and by extension, their players.”
Robin Singh, president of the Guyana Baseball League (GBL) – the national governing body for baseball in Guyana – echoed Riccobono’s sentiment.
“The NFHS coaching education course, developed by USA Baseball and sponsored locally by Noble House Seafoods, is the cornerstone upon which baseball in Guyana will be built,” Singh said.
“It is a vital resource needed to provide quality coaches with requisite knowledge and recognised certification to coach our nation’s youth.”
As USA Baseball and the NFHS continue to grow their coaches education programme with the emphasis on providing the best resources to those cultivating the game at the grassroots level, Guyana is beginning to develop the game with a similar process.
“The majority of the participants in the course are young school teachers,” Singh explained. “A recognised coaching certificate is important to these young pioneers and an asset to their schools and community.”
The sponsor for this programme, Noble House Seafoods expressed their appreciation to the GBL for providing this opportunity to the youths of Guyana and urged participants to put the knowledge gained to good use.
Providing the programme to Guyana is the first step in growing the game in that country, and another step in USA Baseball’s continued emphasis on growing the game at the grassroots level in the United States and across the globe.
The course is divided into five units: Coaching Philosophy, Offence, Defence, Pitching and Team Strategies.
These units teach the basics of catching and throwing, offensive skills and defensive tactics; offer an overview of each position’s role on the field; show coaches how to develop a practice plan and provide additional coaching tips
Equipment was donated by the United States Embassy here in Guyana, in collaboration with Pony Baseball Organisation, Baseball Guyana’s Youth affiliate and Pitch in for Baseball, a charitable organisation that works to spread America’s pastime to kids all over the world.
From whom they collect and redistribute new and gently-used youth baseball and softball equipment to underserved communities here in the United States and around the globe.
Parents and players can contact GBL president or any of the coaches by email admin@baseballguyana.com or call telephone number 614-4862 for information on getting their children started with playing baseball or softball.