Sports
Batter up! It’s time to play ball!
gregg.chamberlain@eap.on.ca Rockland
There is baseball and T-ball for kids to play in Clarence-Rockland. Thanks to Jennifer Dery and a few dedicated adults who are keeping the “game of summer” alive for young players. “My son took a shine to baseball,” Dery said, explaining how she found herself as a first-year president of the Clarence- Rockland Baseball Association (CRBA). But when she called around for infor- mation on getting her son registered for the young league, it was one, two, three strikes and not a single ball. No one connected with the local league returned her phone calls or emails, staff at city hall reported no one had volunteered this year to organize the program, and regional office in Hawkesbury for District 6 of Little League Ottawa informed her that “no one was steeping to the plate.” So she volunteered. Then she learned aboutasurpriseproblemforthelocalyouth baseball program in the form of a $1900- plus debt owed to the main league. “Which would have to be paid before we would be allowed to play,” Dery said. The debt was the money still due Little League Ottawa from all the various assessment fees for player registration, equipment use, field rentals, and other necessities. Not all of that money had been eithercollectedorturnedovertotheleague. There was also about $500 owing for trophies and the end-of-season banquet for last year’s players, which they never received or enjoyed. All of the trophies were still in storage. With some help from various sponsors and other sources, Dery and her helpers havemanaged to get the debt cleared so the CRBA is now part of the 2012 youth baseball season in the Ottawa region. Which is good news because she has a lot of kids who want to play this year. “We have tripled our registration from last year. Right now we’re at 215 kids.” That means 17 teams this year for all levels of youth baseball, from the various T-ball groups, ages three to five or so, through to coach-pitch, minor, major, and finishing with senior baseball for the players age 13 to 16. The registration fees for all the levels were also adjusted to make it easier for more children to sign up for summer baseball. The CRBA has also received a Canadian Tire Jump Start program grant approval, distributed through the Valoris agency, to help families in need with payment of part or all of the registration fee so their children have a chance to play ball. The local youth ball season had its official start Monday evening May 7 with the season opener at Coco Lemay Field. Dery is happy with the results despite all the surprise problems she encountered
Photo Gregg Chamberlain Want to buy a box of chocolate and help a child play baseball this summer? When they are not trying to knock a home run out of the park, the boys and girls of Clarence-Rockland Baseball Association will be out and about under parental escort selling chocolate bars to help raise money for their league.
highway-style marker cones used as per- ches for the ball so that very small T-ball players can swing at it. “We are also looking for tennis balls, sponge balls, bean bags, hula hoops and
other stuff,” Dery said. Local businesses or clubs interested in helpingsponsoroneoftheyouthballteams or help out in other ways are also welcome. Phone 446-0784 and ask for Jennifer Dery.
when she first decided to take on the task of keeping youth baseball alive in Clarence- Rockland. “Time was of the essence, and it was either ‘go big or go home,’” she said. “If I was going to do this, I’d do it big, and not just the minor and major ball.” The results were obvious during the gatherings last week at ball field to assign children registered for T-ball to their teams and introduce them to their coaches. While Dery was explaining the whole situation, complete with trials and tribulations, for youth league baseball this season to the parents, the children were already running imaginary bases around the ball diamond, laughing and cheering. “They’re all excited,” Dery said, smiling. With the ball season now underway, Dery and the rest of the adults involved behind-the-scenes with the CRBA are working on various fundraising ideas to make sure all expenses are covered this season and also try and fill some equipment needs for the T-ball program. One thing they are in short supply of are the tall
Début de la saison de baseball
nouvelles@eap.on.ca Hawkesbury
La Ligue de Baseball de Prescott- Russell(LBPR)entamerasesactivitéscette semaine. LBPR comprend des équipes d’Alfred, Hawkesbury, Bourget, Rockland et St-Isi- dore. Parents et amis seront de la partie. Les amateurs de baseball sont invités à consulter le site web de la LBPR au www.PRbaseball.ca pour consulter la cédule de leur équipe préférée. Venez en grand nombre. Il n’y a jamais de frais d’admission aux parties de la LBPR qui œuvrent dans la « Petite Ligue » (Little League).
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Event location: Independent Grocer Parking Lot on Laurier Street, Rockland Time: 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Call us at 613-446-6031 to donate merchandise.
Endroit : stationnement de Grenon, Your’s Independent Grocer, rue Laurier, Rockland Heure : 9h-15h Vous pouvez remettre vos articles en appelant au 613 446-6031
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