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Kingery, a native of Atwater, retired in 1996 after 10 years in the major leagues. He now stays involved in the game by running his own baseball camp, called Solid Foundation. The Bulldog baseball association covered the costs of the camp in Paynesville last week, making it free for all participants.

At the camp, participants spent 20-30 minutes working with a different coach at each station: pitching, fielding (one infield station and one outfield), catching, and hitting. As the hitting coach, Kingery writes an individual evaluation for each student. "We don't expect them to remember everything they learned, but this way they have something they can go back to," said Kingery.

Instead of trying to connect with a baseball, Kingery now tries to improve at connecting with kids. His approach is personable and down to earth, and he calls each of his students by name. Among the teenagers, 41-year-old Kingery is just another one of the boys.

"Almost every kid that I work with is desiring to learn, and that makes it fun to work with someone who wants to get better," said Kingery. "I work with kids at different levels of ability, but the main ingredient is that if they want to learn, they're going to get better."

After spending time at the different stations, the participants play games and do practical drills. "We put into practice what we just learned," said Kingery. "Immediate feedback is what we hope for."

Kingery's goal is that everyone have fun, which is why the final drill of the camp is a bat-spinning contest. After spending hours fine-tuning their athletic skills, the dizzy, laughing boys struggle just to stay on their feet.

Kingery, the youngest of five brothers, signed a professional contract with the Kansas City Royals right out of high school. He spent seven years in the minor leagues before finally getting a break in the majors. In his 10 years in the major leagues, he played with the Kansas City Royals, the Seattle Mariners, the San Francisco Giants, the Oakland A's, the Colorado Rockies, and the Pittsburg Pirates. His best season was in 1994 when he led the Rockies in hitting with a .349 batting average.

"(Playing in the majors) is a whole different lifestyle. You live with people that you don't even know for seven to eight months out of the year, so you build some close friendships," said Kingery. "You win together and you lose together."

Win or lose, Kingery's students go home with a smile and a few baseball skills to show for their work.