Blue Darters baseball coach Scott Garland revived the Apopka High School baseball youth summer camp this week, welcoming players ages 5-14 to the school for five weeks of instruction, mentorship and fun. The last youth camp hosted by the program was in 2019. 

Garland organized the camp shortly after his summer travel baseball season ended, giving him an opportunity to reconnect with the local baseball community while introducing young players to the Blue Darters program. 

“I opened it up more or less to all the ages because I wanted to get all the kids in Apopka out here that I possibly could,” Garland said. “It’s just to get these kids out here, get them around the field, get them around the players and kind of see what the Blue Darters are about.” 

Campers were divided into age groups and rotated through stations that focused on throwing, fielding and hitting. After beginning the evening with a quick game of catch, players moved to the infield for ground ball drills, where each throw was caught by a current Blue Darters player.  

After the ground ball drills, younger campers worked in the batting cages while the older groups rotated between live hitting and time in the field before switching stations. 

Current Blue Darters players, including Aiden Rieli, Easton DeClue and others, volunteered alongside recent graduate Camron Pennock, who spent part of his summer break back at his former field helping coach the next generation. 

Garland said exposing the campers to the high school environment was one of the camp’s biggest objectives. 

“I want to get the kids in Apopka out here to see our field. Some kids have never seen our field,” Garland said. “I want them to be around our players and our coaches and hopefully build more excitement about what’s going on here and what we’re wanting to do in the future. That was really honestly the goal.” 

For Garland, the camp isn’t just about fundamentals. It’s about creating relationships between young players and the athletes they hope to become one day. 

“I think they’re going to look up to these guys,” Garland said. “They work with a player or two on a fairly routine basis, that’s going to become their friend, that’s going to be somebody they look up to. In turn, I think that’s probably going to be a situation where they’re going to want to come out to a game because they want to see some of them play in the game.” 

Garland also emphasized that the Blue Darters program extends well beyond the current roster. He welcomed former players back to the field, saying they remain an important part of what the program has built. 

“We don’t have what we have without them, and we don’t ever want them to think otherwise,” Garland said. “They’re always welcome to come out. They’re just as much a part of Blue Darters as the current group.” 

While having fun remains a priority, Garland wants every camper to leave with better habits and a stronger understanding of the game. 

“It’s one thing to go out and practice baseball, but if you’re not doing the correct things to get yourself better and grow as a player, then what’s the point?” Garland said. “The whole point of everything that we do over the five weeks is to make sure their practice is perfected, so they’re practicing the right things and becoming better baseball players.” 

The evening concluded with one final competition that had every camper cheering. Players split into teams for relay races around the diamond, sprinting from base to base while teammates and coaches encouraged them from the sidelines. The races brought plenty of smiles and laughter, providing a fitting end to a night centered on learning, teamwork and community. 

The camp will continue through Aug. 5 with sessions held Monday through Wednesday from 6-8 p.m. By opening the gates of Apopka High School once again, Garland hopes the camp will not only sharpen young players’ skills but also strengthen the bond between the city’s youth and the Blue Darters baseball program for years to come.