For a decade it was a rite of summer for youths from north Louisiana and beyond as they start to begin preparations to head into the month of August and the start of a new school year.

But 2020 was a year that changed the world, and for a second consecutive summer, the COVID-19 pandemic has cancelled the annual free Wilbert Ellis Baseball Clinic, which was scheduled to be held Saturday at Fraser Field in Ruston.

Ellis says he decided to cancel the clinic as an increase in COVID cases surges across the nation, including north Louisiana.

"Because the number of cases is still increasing and because of the particular danger caused by the new (Delta) variant of the virus, we have decided to think on the cautious side and go ahead and cancel this year's clinic, too," Ellis said. "It's disappointing, because in late spring and early summer we were fully planning to hold the clinic again this year. We're proud of what the clinic means to the kids who attend and to their parents, who appreciate what their children are taught and what they can learn themselves about parenting skills if they stay through the whole camp session. 

"But the primary focus has to be the safety and health of everyone, and this virus is really coming on strong again. It's bad, and we don't want to do anything that might cause even one person to come down with this horrible illness. It's because of that we felt the best thing we could do is cancel it again this year and hope that things will be better and it can return next summer."

Previous Wilbert Ellis Baseball Clinics not only had Grambling State baseball coaches, but also players like Ralph Garr and George Stone from Major League Baseball. In addition, the clinics were designated to teach about fundamentals and also featured Ruston Police Chief Steve Rogers, District Attorney John Belton, Domestic Abuse Resistance Team advocate Terrie Queen Autry and others talk to campers about life skills like the importance of staying away from drugs, focusing on their education and how to respond to potentially dangerous situations in the proper way.

"We believe the clinics are important not only because of the kids learning about baseball, but also because of all the life skills, which is what they need to thrive," Ellis said. "Even a Major Leaguer can't play baseball forever. But we also feel it's important to show kids that this virus is still out there and even increasing right now, and that the best thing to do is to stay as safe as you can. That's the reason we decided we needed to go ahead and cancel it again this year."
 
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