The Sowden-Flanagan Baseball Training Centre has added a couple more staff members to their coaching staff.

Taylor Elder and Michael Hunt, both with extensive experience in baseball both playing and coaching, have been added to the staff. Co-owner Sowden said the Centre been able to get players in through the pandemic, which has filled their programs

“We’ve started offering programming for 6-to-9 year-olds now, to try to get them going a little bit as well,” said Sowden. “We’ve mostly been working with 10-to-18-year-olds, but the 6-to-9-year-old group has been one that we’ve just recently jumped into and we’re filling that up really fast too. Lots of good things happening. Really excited, and just thankful we can keep doing some stuff in the midst of everything that’s been going on.”

With the business going well and their Hillcrest Sports Centre home safe from the wrecking ball, Sowden said things are looking up in their building, the former home of Gymtastics.

“The city has been great to work with so far, we’re had great communication with them,” Sowden said. “Right now, the city’s trying to figure out what they’re going to do with that space next. I know there’s been a lot of interest in the Gymtastics space. It’s a great space and the building is in solid condition. Hopefully, somebody or a plan will come in place where we can partner with whoever is in there next.”

In the meantime, Sowden said the baseball training centre has a plan in place for the next few months to keep doing programming leading into the baseball season outside in the spring.

“We’re fairly confident, but who knows with all the restrictions. But hopefully, that can happen this year again.”

Sowden said they are working to get a fall ball program going through the centre later this year. It would be like how club hockey works in the spring, he said.

“We really want to run an 18-U team, a 15U team, a 13-U team and an 11-U team, and play all the different training other centres in Saskatchewan,” Sowden said. “You have RBI and Inside Pitch, and there’s a new one in Regina called 2SK. We want to play them in the fall. And then Going Yard out of Saskatoon. We’ve already been in communication with all these places and they want to play us. Just something at the end of the season, give the kids a few weeks off after their ball season, and then just offer another four to five weeks of games and training.”