Ever since taking over as the head baseball coach at the University of Maine in 2005, Steve Trimper has aggressively tried make connections within the state’s baseball community.

In an effort to demonstrate the UMaine program’s commitment to baseball in the state, Trimper and the Black Bears are inviting Maine baseball coaches and parents to visit the Orono campus for an evening of baseball talk.

Trimper has scheduled a free Coaches and Parents Clinic for Feb. 12 at the Mahaney Dome. The session runs from 6-8 p.m.

“Basically, the way coach Trimper looks at it, if we can improve the instruction level at the grass roots, from Little League right up through middle school and high school, we’ll be getting better players in the long run,” said UMaine graduate assistant coach Aaron Izaryk, the contact person for the clinic.

UMaine has sent out invitations to every school in the state, from elementary schools up through high schools, Izaryk said, encouraging them to attend the clinic and learn about topics such as practice organization, teaching strategies, and coaching philosophies.

Rather than have Trimper stand in front of an audience and lecture, he will involve his coaching staff and players to help provide a first-hand look at the concepts he plans to teach.

“Our team will be in uniform and they’ll basically go over position play,” Izaryk explained. “It will be based on drills more than sitting and listening.”

The UMaine staff got the idea for the free clinic after attending coaching conventions this winter.

Participants also will have a chance to talk with a representative from the Rawlings sporting goods company, which has donated a set of team helmets and a LiquidMetal bat as raffle prizes. New Balance will give away a set of cleats to outfit one lucky team.

Izaryk said the outgoing Trimper also is looking forward to meeting more of the state’s high school and youth coaches to help build a relationship between them and the UMaine program.

The Bears open the 2007 season March 3 in Palm Beach, Fla., against the University of Pennsylvania.

For clinic information, call or e-mail Izaryk at 581-1098 or aaron.izaryk@umit.maine.edu.

UMaine women slate reception

The UMaine women’s basketball team is preparing for its sixth annual Wine and Cheese Reception which is scheduled for Feb. 10.

The event, which serves as a fundraiser for the program, is being held in conjunction with the Black Bears’ noon home game against Binghamton at Alfond Arena in Orono.

The reception will run from 4-6 p.m. at the Dirigo Pines Inn in Orono. Tickets are $50 per person and will include wine and hors d’oeuvres.

Participants will have the chance to interact with head coach Ann McInerney and the UMaine players.

For information, contact the women’s basketball office at 518-1107.

UM honoring females in sports

The UMaine athletic department will host numerous activities Wednesday to celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day and recognize the 35th anniversary of Title IX.

The day is highlighted by the noon women’s basketball game at Alfond Arena between UMaine and Albany. Other events will include a speech by Mariah Burton Nelson.

The festivities begin at 10 a.m. in Memorial Gym with a program for middle school students called “Bears of Tomorrow.” Youngsters will interact with student-athletes in a circuit that will focus on the importance of exercise, nutrition, teamwork, goal-setting, and educational discipline.

Information for that event is available by calling 581-1086.

Wednesday’s game has been scheduled at noon to give area schools an opportunity to expose young fans to Black Bear women’s basketball.

Burton Nelson, a former Stanford University and professional basketball player, will speak at 6 p.m. in the Maine Center for the Arts. The award-winning author and lecturer is the acting director of editorial management for the American Association of Retired Persons. She has written five books, including “We Are All Athletes Bringing Courage, Confidence and Peak Performance Into Our Everyday Lives.”

National Girls and Women in Sports Week at UMaine also will include Sunday’s noon women’s hockey game at Alfond Arena, beginning yoga classes Tuesday and Thursday, and free rock climbing Tuesday at Maine Bound.

Title IX was the landmark legislation enacted by the federal government in 1972, the purpose of which is to allow females and males equal participation and opportunities at federally funded educational institutions.