Giving Back to Community

With over 280 kids in attendance, the 2023 Wilbert Ellis Baseball Clinic put on another successful year of education and enrichment for local youth.

Despite a steamy Saturday in Ruston, the clinic was packed under a handful of tents at Fraser Field with hundreds of kids ages 4-16 to learn from some of the best Grambling State baseball players, along with top community leaders.

Wilbert Ellis, who was all smiles throughout the clinic, said he was pleased to see another year of happy campers ready to learn.

“The thing about it is we’ve got Lincoln Parish, Union Parish. We’ve got people from Alexandria, Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi. I think people want to come because of the way we’re doing it,” Ellis said. “We’ve got an enrichment plan, and it’s a family thing. But we’re trying to do something for the kids, to motivate the kids in the basic skills of baseball. But we want to do more than that. We want to do the basic skills in life. Start them off: stay out of drugs, get an education, do the right thing, go to church. That’s what we want to do.”

Former GSU and MLB players John Lewis, Ronnie Lewis, Ira Truell, Gary Eave and Bobby Dupree were among the instructors for the clinic, dividing the campers by age and rotating them through hitting, fielding, baserunning and more.

When the campers weren’t getting handson baseball instruction, they listened to multiple speakers from around the parish on important life skills and resources available to them and their families.

Enrichment participants included Dr. Jackie White of the nonprofit Health Hut, Lincoln Parish Sheriff Stephen Williams, District Attorney John Belton, Ruston Chief of Police Steven Rogers, and Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker among others.

White shared the importance of staying healthy and being preventative against COVID- 19, especially now that a wide range of vaccines are available to better protect against effects the virus.

Walker thanked parents for seeing the value of bringing their child to the clinic and thanked Ellis for his years of dedication to the parish.

“Coach is a perfect example of giving back to his community and doing things all the time for our community and the universities here,” Walker said. “The city of Ruston says thank you to all of the parents, all of the workers; we’ve got lots of staff here today working as far as helping with the clinic. Again, I just want to say thanks to Coach Ellis because without him, and his heart for this community — but not just this community, every young person sitting here today — this wouldn’t happen.”

Ellis, a Ruston native and Grambling State Hall of Famer, emphasized the camp is meant to enrich campers and families through realworld experiences, not just the fun aspects of baseball.

He coached Grambling State starting in 1978 and went on to win three SWAC championships and make five NCAA Regional appearances.

He said he wants his clinic to always be seen as a tool to grow kids into educated and active members of their community, whether it be through athletics or other work.

“If I have to leave today and not be able to return and go to heaven, I have been gifted my joy through the grace of God,” Ellis said. “That’s what made this all happen.”