Chandler goes to camp with Red Sox this summer

KEENE, N.H. 8/3/11 – Keene State College’s Laura Chandler is spending her summer with the Boston Red Sox. The senior from Wakefield, Mass., is working as an athletic trainer at the Boston Red Sox Baseball Academy Summer Camps. 

The first-year program offers children of all abilities, ages 5-13, the ultimate major league camp experience, including instruction and a trip to Fenway Park, where they get to meet a player and spend time with Wally the Green Monster.

“It’s an awesome job,” said Chandler, an athletic training major. “The kids are adorable.” 

Chandler, an All-New England and All-Little East outfielder who also earned district academic all-American honors, handles all the campers’ nicks and bruises.  “Fortunately, we’ve haven’t had any serious injuries,” she said. “But they’re very energetic, so you have to keep an eye on them.” 

The 10 one-week camps take place at different locations around the Boston area. Campers arrive each morning in full attire, wearing Red Sox uniforms. They are grouped by age and grade, ranging from age 5 Instructional League to age 12-13 Major League. Instruction is provided by a well-trained staff that includes college players and coaches. 

The highlight of each week is the trip to Fenway Park. Players get to walk all around the park before heading inside for lunch. Each camper gets a photo with a Red Sox player, and there’s also a question and answer session. So far, Daniel Bard, Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, and Clay Buchholtz have taken part. “The kids get so excited when they see the players,” said Chandler. “But they get nervous when it comes to taking a picture or asking a question.” 

Chandler loves interacting with the campers. She made a fan out of one camper who spent most of his time with her. “We had one five-year-old who was sick for most of the time he spent at the camp,” said Chandler. “Every time he didn’t feel well he’d say to his instructor, 'I want to see Coach Laura.'”

Returning to campus this fall, Chandler will continue to work toward her degree work as a student athletic trainer with several of the Keene State teams. Kerri Lafond, a member of the Keene State athletic training staff, says Chandler’s experience working at the Red Sox camp helps supplement what she learns at school. “It’s a great opportunity for Laura to get exposed to different ways of doing things, and it will help her confidence when she gets out to the real world,” Lafond said. “When students return from a positive experience they are usually more focused because they know what they want to do.”

Chandler is still weighing several options after she graduates, including grad school, occupational therapy, or working with special needs children.

In the meantime, Chandler will continue to enjoy her days at camp, which will conclude with a closing awards ceremony and on-field recognition prior to a Red Sox game during Camp Family Reunion Night.   

Asked what her twin sister Haley, her teammate and shortstop on the Owl softball team, is doing this summer, Laura replied, “She’s working at a photography studio and diner in Wakefield."

Who has the better job? “I think it’s me,” said Laura.