ZUNI, N.M. (July 11, 2026) — For three days in June, the sounds of baseball echoed across the athletic fields at Zuni High School as children chased fly balls, fielded grounders and practiced their throws. Some had played before. Others had not, but by the final afternoon, they were stepping confidently into the batter’s box and on the field.
On June 10-12, the Zuni Youth Enrichment Project and Zuni High School hosted their first joint pop-up baseball camp, introducing 37 children ages 6 to 14 to the fundamentals of the game. It also brought together ZYEP staff, Zuni High School coaches and players, collegiate athletes, and the Zuni Public School District in a collaborative effort to create new opportunities for local youth.
Children ages 6 to 9 practiced on the ZHS softball field, while participants ages 10 to 14 practiced on the baseball field. For Tahlia Natachu-Eriacho, ZYEP’s executive director, the camp represented much more than three days of baseball.
“Zuni used to have a lot of baseball,” she said. “I remember playing in a recreational league as a kid, but we haven’t had opportunities for younger children to play baseball in our community for a long time. We didn’t have adequate fields.”
That changed when ZPSD constructed new baseball and athletic facilities. Rather than launching a large annual league right away, the youth project chose to try a short-duration camp to introduce youth to the sport and gauge community interest.
The response to this pilot project exceeded expectations. Among older players, staff discovered a high level of enthusiasm that reinforced the value of continuing to invest in baseball programming.
“These are baby steps,” Natachu-Eriacho said. “It’s an opportunity for us to gather data, understand the interest and see where we can grow. It’s been eye-opening to see the advantages of short-duration, pop-up-style camps.”
Just as important as the sport itself was the partnership that made the camp possible. Camp instructors included ZYEP Physical Activity Coordinator Tyler Sice, ZYEP Physical Activity Leader Zachary James, and ZHS baseball coaches Matthew Cornelius, Wilfred Eriacho Jr. and Jarek Chimoni-Zunie.
Eight members of the ZHS baseball team joined them, along with Matthew Cornelius of the University of New Mexico Lobos baseball program and Kole Eriacho of Ottawa University Baseball. Together, they transformed the camp into something that resembled both a skills clinic and a mentorship experience.
“The 2026 ZYEP/ZHS Summer Baseball Camp was a huge success,” Coach Matthew Cornelius said. “This camp was a great opportunity for kids to learn the great sport of baseball and have fun. We had positive feedback from the parents and guardians, too, and we’re looking forward to more potential summers of baseball with ZYEP.”
James, who spent all three days working with the older players, said one of his favorite moments was watching campers develop over the course of the program.
“My highlight was seeing youth learn the sport of baseball, seeing the talent each of the participants has, and seeing the improvement of skill from day one to day three,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to coach baseball, so this was a great opportunity to work with our future baseball players.”
For younger campers, even the smallest milestones became moments worth celebrating. Sice said many children arrived feeling nervous, particularly those with little or no previous baseball experience. As they rotated through drills, however, hesitation gave way to excitement.
Participants beamed when they caught a ball cleanly for the first time or watched their hits travel farther and farther off the tee. By the end of camp, children who had started out cautiously fielding ground balls were confidently making plays on balls hit by fellow players.
“There were moments of frustration, but they learned the sport with the support of the instructors,” Sice said. “Another highlight was witnessing the high school players become great role models by teaching the game, running their own drills and giving pointers to help participants improve their skills.”
James observed a similar progression among the older group. Campers began each morning throwing and catching tennis balls before advancing to regulation baseballs as their confidence grew.
Although mistakes were inevitable, participants encouraged one another while steadily improving throughout the three-day camp. For Natachu-Eriacho, those interactions between youth participants and high school athletes may prove to be the camp’s greatest success.
“They modeled leadership, patience and teamwork, and they helped the young players imagine themselves on the high school team one day,” she explained. “This could even serve as a feeder program, because there is huge interest among the 10- to 14-year-olds.”
Following the success of this inaugural baseball camp, ZYEP plans to continue partnering with the ZHS baseball program on additional short-duration camps. In the meantime, the nonprofit organization continues to operate its basketball, soccer, flag football and T-ball leagues, serving more than 500 Zuni youth annually through youth sports.
To learn more about the Zuni Youth Enrichment Project and its programs, and for information about making donations, partnering with ZYEP, and volunteering, call (505) 782-8000 or visit zyep.org. And, to stay up to date on the latest news and events, follow the nonprofit youth organization on Facebook (/zuniyouthenrichmentproject), Instagram (@zuniyouthenrichmentproject), YouTube (/ZuniYouth), and TikTok (/zyep09).
Founded in 2009, the nonprofit Zuni Youth Enrichment Project is dedicated to promoting resilience among Zuni youth so they will grow into strong, healthy adults who are connected with Zuni traditions. ZYEP fulfills its mission by providing positive role models, enriching programs, and nurturing spaces that contribute to the healthy development of Zuni youth. ZYEP strives to provide every child with the encouragement and opportunities they need to reach their full potential.
