Jennie Finch Camp Reviews?

[vcackerman]

I'm in the Chicago area and my wife came across Jennie Finch camp for DD - they don't post much on the agenda for the days but wondering if anyone had experience with the camps and what your general thoughts were? My DD is a 2B, not a pitcher. She would be coming with a friend who is a corner IF and P.

 

[YoungBuck]

Best camp my DD has been to. Soak it in!

 

[spleen1015]

DD went to the Chicago camp last year. It was great. Do it!

 

[nanotech14]

IMO it is more of a chance to see players that have been at the Olympic. Tons of girls go to these, but info wise, not the greatest. I'm glad my dd went to meet Jennie, but other camps with less girls are better. We went to one a few years back at Radford University in Va.. Get there early, real early, or plan on standing in line, with 400 other girls. We were the second ones there to register and we were glad we did.

 

[nanotech14]

Be glad your dd isn't a pitcher. That way you don't have to listen to Doug Finch, tell how everybody else is wrong and he is right. Big hello elbow fan Doug is. He never did explain why Jennie never threw hello elbow when she was playing.

 

[Merrill Danner]

My DD attended the camp in Allen, TX, last weekend, 06/07. Here are the highlights.
Layout of the camp, for both days the drill stations were broken down in the same manner.
1. Field 1: Infield, ball handling drills, agility
2. Field 2:Outfield and pitching( pitchers went with Jenny and her dad, while outfielder went to outfield)
3. Field 3:Hitting, outfield throwing and fielding
4. Field 4:Bunting, base running, agility
Both days are basically the same, but day 2 is more hands on for the girls. I little more action so to speak and less walk through.
Ball handling drills: pair up girls ball toss while shuffling down passing ball back and forth, then again with 2 balls.
Agility: Cones and agility ladder.
Pitching: demonstration of Hello Elbow and why they teach(Jenny and her dad) it, talk about how they have tons of medical data that proves they are right and everyone else is wrong. Shameless promotion of the Finch Windmill device and Doug Finch’s service as a private PC
Hitting with Crystl Bustos, this to me was the highlight of the camp, she is straight forward and tells you how it is. Very good instruction and tons of fun, each girl will come away with something new for their swing.
Outfield throwing, accuracy throwing drill and practice of crow hop to help outfielders gain speed and distance.
Base running: groups divide into two, are given instruction of entry angle to first base, ways of rounding the bases. Competition between two groups running the bases, one group starting at home and the other at second using relay format with penalties for not making tag to your teammate.
Bunting: girls divided into small groups, thrown balls and given feedback/instruction during drill.

There were other stations that do not qualify as skill building, they were the photo opportunity station where the girls took photos with Jenny and her medals, demonstration station, hitting for one where Crystl hit 12 of 15 over the fence, not just a little but 50-100 ft past the fence.

Lunch was provided each day by Subway. All in all was a pretty good camp and would recommend to someone who is just starting to gain some skills and really wants to improve, not really for the player who has been playing for a couple of years and has a good skill set, though it is a good refresher on the most basic skills. My DD who is third year and is 11 years old said she liked the hitting with Crystl, but said Jenny and her dad trying to make her do Hello Elbow was at best annoying.
That is it in a nut shell, the staff was composed of several Olympic gold medalists, college level players who volunteered their time and the staff of Allen Tx parks and recreation.

There was tons of Jenny Finch stuff to buy and a silent auction to help raise funds for something, I don’t recall the cause.

It was a pretty good weekend but my DD says lets do something different next year. I think the comment was, been there done that, what’s next.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

^ Is that Doug, in the pictures?

 

[riseball]

Jenny did pitch HE....

One of the biggest myths in fastpitch softball.

 

[nanotech14]

^ Is that Doug, in the pictures?

Looks like him, but with a beard. To the OP You guys are luck having Bustos there. She wasn't at the one my dd went to. It looks to have a better set up. So I can't tell you now if it is worth it or not. I say go and have fun. Your dd only grows up once and enjoy it now.

 

[nanotech14]

Hey Merlin Danner, love the avatar. Is that a 50 cal.?