The opportunity to train in Vero Beach, Florida, over Christmas break does not come often. For eighth graders Kevin Devine, Benjamin Kull and Nate Robison, the experience of a lifetime came at Baseball Factory’s Winter Classic competition and training camp. The camp was sponsored by Under Armour and was held in two sessions December 20-23 and December 27-30.

The trio tried out to play at Historic Dogertown, another name for the Holman Stadium in Florida, at the beginning of September. Each player got an invitation to try out through the mail. The letter included information on the tryout process, camp information and the cost of attending the camp.

Any player who was invited to try out was required to try out for a specific position through a series of speed and strength tests. These tests included sprinting and various throwing exercises. The camp is used as a feeder showcase in an attempt to get college scouts to see the participants’ already-advanced skills.

“I was on an arm-strengthening program since I tried out for pitcher. I trained a lot with my father and Mike Toomey, the pitching coach for [Lebanon Valley College],” Robison said.

While at Vero Beach, players were moving for the majority of the day. They received professional instruction from past baseball players such as Zach Lush, catcher and first baseman for the Baltimore Orioles, and camp founder Steve Sclafani on all aspects of the game. They also competed in various competitions and tested their abilities against some of the best players in the country. The players stayed in dorms that were previously inhabited by members of the LA Dodgers.

“My family was very emotional since this was a big achievement. I was very excited to go, and I had a great time there,” Devine said. “I learned a lot more useful things and got to know my team at a personal level. They were all from different states, so it was a really cool experience. I learned some new techniques that I plan to try this season.”

Once the trio returned to Pennsylvania, they received an evaluation packet in the mail detailing their performance in Florida. It included statistics, comments and tips that the instructors found useful for each specific player. The instructors also included corrective videos so the players could continue their development after the commencement of the camp.