SPORTS

Young athletes invited to MLB training camp

By ED KDONIAN
Posted 4/12/23

Aavah Wild (12), of  Pawtucket, and Avery Bouvier (11), of Warwick, have been invited to the Major League Baseball (MLB) Trailblazer series for a four-day tournament and training camp for young …

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SPORTS

Young athletes invited to MLB training camp

Posted

Aavah Wild (12), of  Pawtucket, and Avery Bouvier (11), of Warwick, have been invited to the Major League Baseball (MLB) Trailblazer series for a four-day tournament and training camp for young girls from April 13 to 16 at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, Florida.

The training camp, which first began in 2017, was launched by USA Baseball and MLB in honor of Jackie Robinson day, a nod to “baseball’s quintessential trailblazer.”

According to their website, “the objective of the event is to provide playing, development and educational opportunities to girls who play baseball.”

Bouvier, who is 11 years old and plays for the Babe Ruth Baseball League in Warwick and Rhode Island Hope Girls Baseball, has been playing the game since she was just four years old. Wild has been playing baseball for six years and met Bouvier during their time together on the Pawtucket Slaterettes travel team.

“She started screeching,” Aavah’s mother, Heather Wild, said with a smile. “I told her that I wrote her an essay, but that I didn’t think it was that compelling. She was like ‘really?.’ Didn’t think anything was gonna come of it, but then they called us and she was invited.”

Bouvier’s mother pointed out that she hadn’t even told Avery that she had submitted her name for entry into the tournament.

“I don’t even think I told her when I did it,” Avery’s mother, Sarah Bouvier, said. “I just didn’t want it to be a disappointment if she didn’t get picked.”

Wild said that as far as she knows about 350 girls applied to attend the camp with less than a third being chosen for the honor. Both players said they were thrilled with the idea of attending the camp, and that was clear in the broad grins that couldn’t be wiped from their faces as they talked about the event. The 96 girls Wild said would be attending the tournament will be staying in the Jackie Robinson Complex, all expenses paid, for the entire week.

“Well for them it’s all expenses paid,” Wild’s mother explained. “The parents have to pay for our own rooms, and it’s spring break week so you know the prices were steep. They are paying for the girl’s rooms, flights and even food the entire time. We’re just out there with them for moral support.”

During their time at the MLB Trailblazer event the girls will have the chance to train on the field with professional instruction, attend a panel discussion with members of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League, play against each other in tournament games and even meet Sonya Pankey, Jackie Robinson’s first grandchild and the Vice President of Human Relations and Talent for West Elm, a chain retailer of furniture and home accessories.

While attendees to this year’s Trailblazer Series have already been chosen, for the young girls interested in attending next year’s event details about the camp and how to apply can be found on their website at mlb.com/trailblazer-series.

MLB, girls

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