Youths Get Opportunity to Play With Matteo, Rubin

When ranking the friendliest rivalries in the Marin County Athletic League, perhaps it would be wise to put Redwood-Tam softball at the top.

The Redwood-Tam Skills Clinic plays a big role in that.

You see, when the players from the two MCAL softball powers get together on the diamond Saturday, everyone will walk away a winner. That’s because they won’t be battling for league supremacy; rather, they’ll be working together to help every team at every level in Marin get better.

The annual Skills Clinic for third- through eighth-graders will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at and feature as many as 200 girls receiving personalized instruction from members of the Giants and Red-tailed Hawks.

“Almost everybody on my team has been through the clinic,” noted Tam coach Mike Wills, who co-founded the event about a decade ago while serving as an assistant coach for at Redwood. “It’s really a very, very good thing. Everybody loves it.”

Wills has the numbers to support it. He said the first clinic attracted about 60 girls. The next year, 80 attended. “And we’ve been over 100 ever since,” he boasted.

This year’s flock figures to be the biggest ever in part because Novato recently joined Marin Girls Softball.

The group has gotten so big, it reminds Casassa at times of a giant reunion.

“A few of the girls that I coached 20 years ago are now bringing their kids. That’s kind of a sobering thing,” he said with a laugh. “When I see this mother who looks familiar and she’s dropping off her daughter, I think, ‘Wow, that’s gone full circle.’ ‘’

The day turns into a dream come true for the aspiring stars of tomorrow.

Imagine getting an opportunity to pitch with Tam ace Kim Scarsella, to get fielding instruction from Redwood shortstop , to receive hitting tips from Tam freshman star Rebecca Fong and learn how to chase a flyball like Redwood’s .

The big group is separated into two sessions. The younger players (Minors and first-year Majors) go from 10 a.m.-noon, the older kids (second-year Majors and Seniors) from 1-3 p.m.

In between, the youngsters get to mingle with the “stars” while enjoying some pizza.

“It makes these young girls want to play in high school,” Wills observed. “When they see these things happening, they want to play the same way.”

Both coaches agree: Part of the fun is watching the rivals from Redwood and Tam work together to bring a smile to the kids’ faces.

“They love it,” Casassa said. “Tam and Redwood are friendly rivals. They’ll go all-out on the field and be as competitive as anyone and do whatever it takes to win, but five minutes after the game, they’re friends and they’ll be going out to dinner together.”

One of the highlights of the day is a home run hitting contest held after lunch, pairing some of Tam’s sluggers against their Redwood rivals. Both coaches recall the power display put on by current Harvard standout Whitney Shaw, who couldn’t be contained by her former home field’s 10-foot-high fence that’s 200 feet from home plate.

“By the end of the day, Gary and I are exhausted,” Wills assured, “and everybody is happy.”

Most players already have signed up for the clinic through their Marin Girls Softball teams, but walk-ups will be accepted at the Redwood field Saturday morning.

Redwood’s recent results: Beat Rancho Cotate, 3-2; beat Windsor, 12-2; beat Justin-Siena, 3-1.

Upcoming schedule: Thursday at home vs. Branson, 4 p.m.; Monday at San Rafael, 4:30 p.m.