{"id":28566,"date":"2014-09-11T16:42:07","date_gmt":"2014-09-11T20:42:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2014\/09\/baseball-softball-skills-honed-at-sluggers-den.html"},"modified":"2014-09-11T16:42:07","modified_gmt":"2014-09-11T20:42:07","slug":"baseball-softball-skills-honed-at-sluggers-den","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2014\/09\/baseball-softball-skills-honed-at-sluggers-den\/","title":{"rendered":"Baseball, Softball Skills Can Be Honed All Year Round At Indoor ‘Sluggers Den’ Site"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"sluggers-den-wm.jpg\"\n<\/div>\n
Bret McArthur, owner of Sluggers Den, works with a youngster on his hitting\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

By Dave Windscheimer<\/p>\n

While summer nears its end, baseball and
\nsoftball players don’t have to wait until spring to
\nresume polishing their diamond skills.<\/p>\n

Sluggers Den, located in the Price Chopper
\nPlaza at 175 Ballston Ave. in Saratoga Springs, is
\nan indoor facility featuring three batting tunnels,
\npitching mounds and instruction in “America’s
\npastime” from owner Bret McArthur and his staff.<\/p>\n

McArthur, who’s been involved with local
\nyouth baseball programs for a number of years,
\nsaid he’s been pleased with the response from
\nthe public. “It’s been outstanding. I couldn’t be
\nhappier with our growth. Baseball has a strong
\nbase in Saratoga.”<\/p>\n

A popular offering at Sluggers Den is the
\nAfter-School All-Stars, where students can
\nlearn the finer points of the game. McArthur
\nsaid 30 students are coming in once a week for
\nthe program.<\/p>\n

“We have six kids a day that come into the
\nDen,” said McArthur. “We give them a snack and
\ndrink. Then, we do an hour-and-15-minute workout
\nwith them. We work on throwing mechanics,
\npitching mechanics, hitting and fielding. The
\nprogram has been very well-received by the
\nparents as the kids who’ve been involved had
\noutstanding years in their Little League and Cal
\nRipken League seasons. I’ve added a fifth day to
\nthe program and we now have some Ballston Spa
\nkids coming in.”<\/p>\n

McArthur said another developing course is
\nthe 90 MPH Club, where students are instructed
\nin the art of pitching, including the mechanics
\nof throwing and arm strengthening.<\/p>\n

Sluggers Den also features a program called
\n“Power Yoga for Baseball.” As McArthur explains,
\nstretching is crucial for young athletes when they
\nreach their teens. “With baseball, having control
\nand flexibility is important,” he says. Yoga is now
\nbeing taught to baseball players at the collegiate
\nand professional levels and McArthur is hoping
\nto introduce the concept to Saratoga High School
\nplayers in the coming year.<\/p>\n

According to McArthur, Sluggers Den has also proven popular with girls’ softball teams.
\n“Softball is huge with the girls,” he said. During
\nTravers Week, the Den hosted a summer
\ncamp that was attended by over 80 children,
\nincluding an entire girls’ softball team from
\nBallston Spa.<\/p>\n

The Den is a destination for birthday parties.
\nMcArthur sayid while most of the parties
\nare baseball-themed, the event can be tailored
\nto the child’s interests. One party option is the
\nalways-popular “bounce house.”
\nAs for the parties, McArthur said, “We take
\ncare of everything. Parents don’t have to clean
\nup or set up the party. Our party coaches do the
\nwork and the parents can relax.”<\/p>\n

“I’m passionate about seeing baseball and
\nsoftball grow. It’s a great sport and teaches so
\nmany life lessons,” he said.<\/p>\n

Sluggers Den is open Tuesday through Friday
\nfrom noon to 8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from
\n10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and closed on Mondays. Offhours
\nuse of the facility is available by appointment
\nby calling 772-4487. For more information
\nabout the facility, go to www.sluggersden.com or
\nfind them on Facebook.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bret McArthur, owner of Sluggers Den, works with a youngster on his hitting By Dave Windscheimer While summer nears its end, baseball and softball players don’t have to wait until spring to resume polishing their diamond skills. Sluggers Den,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121,"featured_media":20034,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[98,115],"class_list":["post-28566","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-new-businesses","tag-new-businesses","tag-saratoga-springs"],"yoast_head":"\r\nBaseball, Softball Skills Can Be Honed All Year Round At Indoor 'Sluggers Den' Site - Saratoga Business Journal<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2014\/09\/baseball-softball-skills-honed-at-sluggers-den\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Baseball, Softball Skills Can Be Honed All Year Round At Indoor 'Sluggers Den' Site - Saratoga Business Journal\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Bret McArthur, owner of Sluggers Den, works with a youngster on his hitting By Dave Windscheimer While summer nears its end, baseball and softball players don't have to wait until spring to resume polishing their diamond skills. 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