Out of the cold, and into the game

As another snowstorm hovers over New England, we take a look in Sunday's Explore New England section on ways you can hone -- and even improve -- your skills in a few summer sports. Golfers and softball and baseball players need not wait until the grass is visible to take some swings and stretch out sport-specific muscles.We were reminded at one point during our interviews of how fiercely loyal players and coaches can be to their sport. It brought back high school memories of hockey players derisively calling us basketball players "roundballers," and questioning our toughness.
Frank Niles of the South Shore Baseball Club in Hingham has been involved in baseball for decades, and he talked of teaching youngsters the fundamentals by sometimes "tricking them into good habits." It wasn't important, he said, "to know which neurons in the brain were firing. We just stress that they stand on the balls of their feet and be ready when the ball is hit to them. Almost anybody can get better," he said, "and know that they are getting better.'' He paused. "If not, we can always send you to a soccer clinic."
Ouch.