Round Trip Sports, Gaithersburg

As a baseball complex devoted entirely to helping young ballplayers achieve their potential, Round Trip Sports' 7,500 square feet of turfed surface is a breeding ground for the pro sluggers and fielders of tomorrow. Batters perfect their swings in one of three 72-foot hitting tunnels equipped with pitching machines, and pitchers take the mound in one of three 72-foot pitching lanes to practice their fastballs and curveballs. The facility also features fast and slow pitching machines for softball players, and a lobby equipped with TV and WiFi.

But all the equipment would be moot without proper guidance, which is why all of Round Trip Sports' instructors are former college players and major leaguers. They lead clinics and camps for kids of all ages, with specified sessions focusing on topics such as speed and agility and strength and coordination. And then there are the camps and the clinics, where experienced instructors and veteran ballplayers impart the fundamentals necessary to the game: batting, pitching, fielding, and the secret hand signal for "hot dog, hold the mustard."