“Don’t think, have fun” Fitness sports clinic gives youth unique opportunity with former MLB player

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) – He wasn’t chasing down fly balls or slugging home runs. 

Instead, three-time Major League Baseball All-Star Curtis Granderson took the field Saturday morning for a fitness sports clinic with youth from the ages of 7 to 17, providing them with a chance to get out, be active, and have fun. 

“The big hope for today is that they leave out of here saying, ‘Wow, that was fun, I can’t wait to do something like that again. And if I get the opportunity to bring someone along with me, or to help someone or teach someone, I’m going to take advantage of it,’” Granderson said.

This clinic, called the Grand Slam Fundraiser, was hosted by PORCH Initiative, which aims to build a future of opportunity for South Cape residents. Fundraising dollars from this event will provide housing, education, and wellness initiatives for youth and their families in the South Cape community. 

The participants ran the bases at Capaha Field, showed off their throwing arms while Granderson clocked their pitches with a radar gun, and, of course, played a few heated games of dodgeball.

Even Granderson couldn’t stay away, as he hopped into a game for a quick while.

“I think that’s one of those games that everybody loves and looks forward to,” he said. “It does so many things. You’re throwing, you’re catching, you’re working on agility, moving around, and you’re also trying to win and don’t want to get hit with the ball. There are so many things that can be taken away from today.” 

Granderson said that during his baseball career, he wrote himself a four-word reminder that can be applied to all sorts of situations. 

“Throughout the course of my career, I wrote under my baseball hat, ‘Don’t think, have fun.’ It’s such a motto for so many different things. If we’re enjoying ourselves and having a good time, we want to do it again. And that’s what today’s all about.”