HERMANTOWN, Minn. (Northern News Now) – The Minnesota Twins community youth program brought aspiring Northland girls to hone their baseball skills and remind them that anyone can step up to the plate.
“This has just revived my passion for all the little Chelseys,” said Chelsey Falzone, the Youth Engagement Manager for the Minnesota Twins. “I played baseball when I was a young girl, so these girls are the same way, and we get to send a message that they belong in baseball.”
On Sunday at the Fichtner Fields in Hermantown, the red and blue of the Minnesota Twins were seen teaching many of the Northland’s female athletes.
“Are goal is to help these girls enjoy baseball and know that they belong in baseball,” said Falzone. “This is a sport that they want to play, that they deserve to have a roster spot.”
The Twin Cities baseball team hosts more than 60 youth clinics throughout the year, but made the drive up north at the request of parents.
“This one in particular is really special because this is a girls’ baseball clinic, so we got to come up here because we heard a lot of girls are playing baseball up in the Northland,” said Falzone, a coach for the Twins 14U girls baseball team. “We had to come up and meet them. So, we got to play ball together for a couple of hours and meet all these wonderful girls.”
More than 30 girls ages 7-16 showed out for the day camp, which helped teach them the fundamentals of hitting and playing both the infield and outfield. Among the athletes was Hermantown seventh grader Amelia Cooper.
“Seeing all the girls that want to play and their passion about it is like super awesome,” said Cooper.
But for Cooper and her friends, it wasn’t just about learning the game, as the coaches hope to help them recognize their freedom to be who they want, according to former Marshall Hilltopper Catcher Anna Hron.
“It’s the best thing ever, it’s my passion to help out young athletes, show them that they have a place to play in baseball, and facilitate an opportunity for them to see that they are great baseball players and that they have everything it takes and more to be exactly who they want to be in life,” said Hron who is also a former Duluth american Legion Baseball player for the Cubs and Whitecaps.
The local player is grateful that the group is helping spread the word into the Northland.
About a decade ago, Emma Charlesworth-Seiler founded the Minnesota Girls Baseball Association and is glad to see the growth of attention on women’s and girls’ sports across the nation.
“We’ve gotten a lot more participation,” said Charlesworth-Seiler, who is also a coach for the Twins 14U team. “I also just think nationwide women’s sports in general and especially girls’ baseball and women’s baseball have been growing a lot and getting more attention, so that’s really fun to see.”
Even Hron couldn’t contain her excitement that the group was coming close to home, saying she immediately said yes, told all her friends, and even dreamed of baseball the night before.
“This is the most amazing thing ever, and I’m so thankful for the Minnesota Twins Community program for bringing people up here to help show people that girls in baseball is a thing,” said Hron.
Hron is now a lacrosse player at the University of Wisconsin-Stout and says her struggles being a girl in a mainly boys-dominated sport helped her in many ways.
“I had a lot of struggle internally about who I wanted to be and how to be strong even when I was scared, and I think that the blessings in disguise that the lord gave me to have that struggle really turned me into a better human,” said Hron.
As for Cooper and the rest of the girls, the event helped them find new role models to push them even further.
“It’s really awesome, it just makes me wanna keep going and keep playing,” said Cooper.
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