Marlins teach game to Miami youth

MIAMI -- Earlier today at Grapeland Park in Miami, Marlins players Heath Bell, Chris Coghlan and Brett Hayes helped teach the game of baseball to their youth league counterparts, when the Major League Baseball Players Trust's City Clinics program kicked off its 2012 schedule.

The Players Trust's City Clinics program is a grass-roots campaign developed by -- and features the active participation of -- Major Leaguers to promote the game of baseball and life skills to under-served children, ages 6-16, in select cities across the United States.

Children participating in these free clinics receive hands-on instruction from current and former big leaguers and others in areas such as baserunning, pitching, hitting, throwing and fielding. During each session, City Clinics attendees also participate in a question and answer session with the players, and receivefree T-shirts, autographs and refreshments. The children attending today's City Clinics program participated through the support and cooperation of local youth baseball leagues.

In 2012, City Clinics also will be held in Boston (July 19); Cincinnati (July 17); Denver (August 14); Pittsburgh (July 3); San Diego (August 6) and Washington, DC (June 21). The City Clinics program is generously underwritten by Majestic Athletic, a division of VF Imagewear, Inc.