Toronto Blue Jays fever is spreading and given the size of the crowd and the smiling faces as the team hosted Academy Week in northern Ontario last week, they might need to make more room aboard the fan bus.

For as much as the half-day clinics offer some insightful knowledge to the game itself, the single-most end goal for event organizers was a far more holistic one.

"It's just about growing the game - it's as simple as that," noted Program Manager of Amateur Baseball Geoff Seto. "I honestly think the biggest goal here is having fun."

"If your takeaway from this is to register for baseball; if you go back home and you want to watch the Blue Jays; if you just turn into a baseball fan in general, that is a win for us."

That said, Newmarket native and a graduate of the South Dakota State Jacktabbits program Dan Telford is very much an instructor / teacher / coach at heart, though acknowledging that the half-day format does lend itself to a somewhat specific approach.

"We are very structured here in terms of our objectives and what we want to teach the kids in a short period of time; that makes it easier," noted Telford, a career .313 hitter while at South Dakota State and conference batting champion in his final year (2013) with an average of .410.

"You are not trying to break them down and build the them back up," Telford added. "You're looking for little tips, set-up tips which they can take home and practice further."

Like clockwork, the clinic prticipants move from one station on Field #1 of the Terry Fox Sports Complex to the next. With ages ranging from eight to 12 and abilities that cover the entire spectrum, keeping things moving is critical.

"All of the stations are kind of unique and it's good (for the instructors) to mix it up - but my heart lies with the hitting," Telford acknowledged with a smile. "With hitting off tees, we are focused on the proper stance."

"If they stand in the same stance each time, they start to understand that repetative motion should transfer into games. From there, the possibilities are endless."

Like Seto, however, Telford knows that there is only so much that can be accomplished in the matter of just a few hours together.

"We really just try and make sure their experience is fun - and teach them a few things while we are at it."

Also making stops in Sault Ste Marie, North Bay and Timmins last week, the Blue Jays Academy team had few issues attracting kids to the field - a reality that was certainly not hindered when one shows up wearing the colours of the number one team in all of baseball these days (63-42 - .600).

"When the Blue Jays are doing well, it gets people more excited to come out to something like this," said Seto. "It's good for the sport in Canada."

On this particular day, at the four field complex in Sudbury, that is preaching to the choir - or perhaps adding to it.