Eastern Ontario Fastball Blog

A blog dedicated to news about the Greater Ottawa Fastball League and other happenings in the world of fastball / fastpitch softball in eastern Ontario and western Quebec, with occasional stories featuring Mrs Fitzroy Fastball, Fitzroy Fastball Junior and the Caveman. If you have info to send on, send me an email at fastball[at]fitzroyharbour.com. Follow @fitzroyfastball on Twitter.

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Wednesday, November 30, 2011

67s deals from Pugs

I was corresponding with local fastball afficianado Shawn "Pugger" Williams, and he advised that he has some deals available for fastball players and fans (sorry: no slo-pitchers need apply).

Pugs has lead responsibility for suite rentals for Ottawa 67s hockey games. He's offering $50 of as follows, if you use the secret code word "FitzroyFastball".

10 seat suites regularly $300 on for $250 + HST
12 seat suites regularly $350 on for $300 + HST
16 seat suites regularly $375 on for $325 + HST

In addition, any business owner or any business decision maker advertising or marketing that is looking for branding opportunities at 67s games for their business should contact Pugger.

And finally, if anyone who is looking for a group outing with tickets in the arena bowl, he can help out for groups of 20 or more.

Please contact the big man at shawn@ottawa67s.com or 613.232.6767, Ext. 258 or 613.302.5019 by phone or text. And make sure to tell him "FitzroyFastball" sent you.

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Miscellaneous updates

Been away from the blog for a while due to a road trip to the Vanier Cup / Grey Cup in Vancouver with 14 other lads. Good time, good times. I highly recommend attending the 2012 Grey Cup in Toronto - next year is the 100th anniversary. Even if you have zero interested in Canadian Football, it's still a great roadie. Our group welcomes new attendees (email me if interested), and we ever have a rookie of the year award!

In other news:

The hockey season continues at our house. Fitzroy Fastball Junior, thanks to his Combat hockey stick, is having a pretty good season, including recently notching a game winner in Atom House B hockey action.

I have also joined a hockey league in Arnprior that seems to be just my level - the Arnprior 40+ Hockey League. (I'm actually an underager until early in the new year.) Despite NOT having a stick deal with Combat, I have managed to pot 7 goals in 9 games. I'm thinking it might be the Movember duster that makes me closely resemble Wendel Clark and scares off the 60 year old opposition defencemen and arthritic goalies. I also recorded what I like to refer to as an "Oldtimers Gordie Howe Hat Trick" the other night, with a goal, assist and penalty in one game - the penalty was a minor for hooking - c'mon I'm not gonna scrap in this league.

Note you can still donate to the Movember cause here (bonus: photo now online). Thanks a lot to those that donated, much appreciated. I have raised over $300, the majority of the donations from blog readers. Despite what I though was a pretty good 'stache, Fitzroy Junior says the other day: "Daddy, Ranjit at school has a thicker moustache than you." Ranjit is his grade 4 classmate of east Indian descent!

The Caveman is doing well, doing his best at initiation hockey and obsessed with NHL games and players. His newest Rainman thing in memorizing time zones, since he has been checking out schedules on NHL.com and wants to figure out when games from out west are on TV here. "Daddy, Vancouver, that's 3 hours different right, Daddy?"

Caveman does however need to work on his geography a little bit. Fitzroy Junior was reading a book about the earth and its composition. He's looking at one section about the molten core of the planet and says to us: "Hey, Daddy did you know it's 4000 degrees Celsius at the centre of the earth?" Caveman, listening in to the conversation says "Where's the centre of the earth? Toronto?" Had a good laugh at that one. Seriously, I couldn't make this stuff up.

Anyway, in fastball news, I haven't heard too much. Still waiting to see about the possibility of a new tournament in the area coming on board. I can't say too much but I will say this - it's not completely "new" as it would be the resuscitation of an old tourney from years gone by. I'll let readers know when I have a concrete announcement.

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Combat Sports New Model

Do yourself a favour and check out the new poster boy for Combat Sports Group softball equipment on their website - one moustachioed Quebecker!

Also remember that Combat hockey sticks are the official equipment of Fitzroy Junior and the Caveman.

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Article on the new U18 Women's team

An article on the new U18 women's team in Ottawa - thanks to Scott Searle for the heads up.

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Thursday, November 24, 2011

Ontario Intermediate Men's Provincial in Sudbury

from Roger Legendre

For the first time in more than 30 years , Sudbury has been awarded a most elite fastball championship. Next August the 11th to the 13th, Sudbury under the direction of chairperson Roger Legendre, well known in fastball throughout the North will help host this fine tournament of men’s fastball. It will be the top eight teams from the province with the eventual winner going to the Canadians on the East Coast in the Summer of 2013. Roger has already mentioned that he will apply to have the 2014 Canadians played in Greater Sudbury. The ball will start rolling now for this coming August with the tournament committee having prominent names on it : deputy mayor Ron Dupuis , well known and former great ladies fastball players of the 70’s Judy Dunn and Noreen Davidson. Other members of the committee are Ron McDonald, well affiliated baseball person Shirley O’Oneil, umpire in chief Larry Pedersen and well known sportsperson Randy Pascal. Legendre intends to have his committee meet once a month then increase the meetings to twice a month. Under the appointed coach Derek Pinkerton a local team will be selected from a a list of players already mentioned . At the moment Frank Cox just two years removed from team Canada will be the primary pitcher. Further details for this major tournament coming to greater Sudbury will be up coming in the next few weeks. Roger can be reached by email at er_legendre@sympatico.ca for further details.

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Condolences to the K-Dog

Condolences to Kenny "K-Dog" Grenier and his family on the sudden death of his father Donnie. K-Dog was the manager of the Arnprior Arrows and Prior Sportsbar teams in the old Arnprior Men's Fastball League and Donnie was a fan of the team and occasional heckler from the stands.

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T-giving

Happy "US American" Thanksgiving to all my readers south of the border, especially those in Elkland.

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Sunday, November 20, 2011

Photos from the GOFL Showdown

I was sent some photos from fastball fan Jonathan Thomas about two months ago and I forget to post them. Here is a photo album from the Greater Ottawa Fastball League showdown event in Quyon in September.

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Friday, November 18, 2011

Respect my Game - from Softball Ontario

New Resource Available: Respect My Game Report Card

Toronto, ON- Softball Ontario is pleased to introduce a new resource for local softball association to use with their own Respect My Game program, the Respect My Game Report Card!

In 2008, Softball Ontario developed the Respect My Game program to address the abusive situations that were taking place on the diamonds amongst the game’s participants, players, coaches, umpires and other stakeholders of the game. The creation of the Respect My Game Program brought to life to raise awareness of abuse in softball and to encourage fair play and respect.

The Respect My Game Report Card is like a comment card that is completed by Umpires immediately after a game. The Softball Ontario umpire is to rate the level of respect on that they witnessed on the diamond. By completing the Respect My Game Report Card it will help determine the effectiveness of the whole Respect My Game Program within your Association.
In 2011, Softball Ontario piloted the Respect My Game Report card at six (6) major Provincial Championships (male and female) and local league play in the Kitchener-Waterloo area.
Below are some highlights from the Respect My Game Report Cards Results:
144 of the cards completed were evaluating Rep Level of ball (Fast Pitch and Slo-Pitch)
47% of the games that were evaluated for Respect My Games principles were at the Minor level (U19)
Officials overall satisfaction rating of compliance with Respect My Game principals with 55%
For the 2012 season, Softball Ontario will pilot the Respect My Game Report Card at the Slo-Pitch Ontario Eliminations to determine the effectiveness of the Respect My Game Program within the game of Slo-Pitch.

Other free downloads available for the Respect My Game Program include:

• The Respect My Game Card- to be distributed to various stakeholders within your Association (i.e. League Executive, Members, Divisional Coordinators, Coaches, Players, Parents, etc.)

• The Respect My Game Umpire Card-each Umpire who registers with Softball Ontario will receive a laminated copy of the Respect My Game Umpire Card which was designed to be included in the Umpire’s Place Conference prior to each game

• Respect My Game Posters- available with both Female and Male players. Ideal to hang these posters in your League Clubhouse and at Tournaments to promote the Association’s participants in the Respect My Game Program

• Respect My Game Guide for Parents and Guide for Coaches- is a resource designed to help parents or coaches identify whether their behaviour is abusive and help them better understand the (ten) 10 most misunderstood rules in the game. It also contains the Parents’ and Coaches’ Code of Conduct

• Respect My Game Code of Conduct for Players of the Game- use the Respect My Game Player’s Code of Conduct to encourage respect amongst players as well as towards the people in leadership roles (Coaches, Umpires, League Executives, etc)

• The Respect My Game Clinic Manual- to be used for in all of Softball Ontario training opportunities and provides strategies and gives exams of how to build mutual respect between Umpires and Umpires, Umpires and Coaches, Players and Umpires, Players and Coaches, Parents and Coaches
• The Respect My Game Brochure- promotional material that provides an overview of the Respect My Game Program

For more information about the Softball Ontario’s Respect My Game Program, please contact Steph Sutton @ ssutton@softballontario.ca or 416-426-7150.

Softball Ontario is the governing body for the sport of softball in Ontario. Our goal is to promote and develop the sport of softball for its athletes, officials and volunteers by providing programs and services at all levels of competitions.

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Thursday, November 17, 2011

Movember update

Thanks to all who have donated to the Movember cause - including a couple of people I have never actually met - your contribution is much appreciated. Thanks as well for all that left kind words about the blog. If anyone else would like to chip in, here is the link: http://mobro.co/fitzroyfastball.

In an unrelated item, check out the photo accompanying this news article. Shameful how grooming standards for local junior hockey officials has gone downhill.

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Junior Men's Nationals to return to Owen Sound

As per Bayshore Broadcasting, the Softball Canada Men's Junior Nationals return to Owen Sound in 2012, this time as a U21 event since the ages have changed.

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Wednesday, November 16, 2011

New U18 Women's team in Ottawa announced

from Scott Searle

There will be a new U18 womens team in Ottawa next summer.

It will be coached by Scott Searle and Jenny Allen. Scott and Jenny coach the University of Ottawa Women’s team and have both coached several teams in the Ottawa area. Jenny Allen is one of the top athletes ever to play in the Ottawa Area. She is the recipient of several prestigious awards for her efforts including the Ottawa Sports Award “Softball player of the year” in 2009, as well as an Outstanding Youth Award in 2007 when she was only 18 years old. Jenny played most of her softball career with the Orleans Rebels, leading them to Provincial and Eastern Canadian Championships in 2005. Jenny was named the MVP of the tournament in 2005 as she drove in all 3 of her teams runs in the final game. In a strange twist, she changed teams in 2006 and holds the unique distinction of leading 2 separate teams to 3 Eastern Canadian Championships in a row between 2004 and 2006. She played with the Kars Aces when they won in 2004 and in 2006. She also led the Orleans Seniors to a National Bronze medal in 2009. Most recently she has played with the Pickering Heat where she got a Silver Medal at the Nationals in 2010. Jenny is also a personal trainer and currently works at Algonquin College

Scott has been the Head Coach of the UOttawa Women's team since 2007, is an instructor for the PWSA's "Colour your Dream" Long-Term Athlete Development Program, as well as the Mens Team Ontario program. A graduate of the National Coaching Institute with a degree in High Performance Coaching Studies (Level 4/5), Searle also holds a degree from the University of Ottawa in Honours History, as well as a Masters in Science in Teaching from the State University of New York at Potsdam.

The team will be hosting "Open-Gym Nights" from January-March for any interested athletes. The Off-season training will focus on developing: base skills technical skills, mental training , cardiovascular levels, strength for softball (Core Strength, Legs, Forearm Muscles), technical hitting skills, speed, agility, quickness, and softball specific anaerobic conditioning.

All athletes will be invited to these sessions with a minimal charge to cover the cost of the facility.

Team tryouts will be held outdoors in the Spring. Once the team is selected, we will pick practice locations based on the geography of the athletes on the team. We will work to vary practice locations throughout the season to try and equalize travel time for athletes. Our goal with this flexibility is to allow athletes from outside the Ottawa area to play on the team.

The team will be run based on the principles of the Long-Term Athlete Development Model produced by Sport Canada and Softball Canada. Details can be found on the Softball Canada website at www.softball.ca. We will compete in the CCFL, and look to enter approximately 6-7 tournaments.

We are hosting a parent information meeting on November 29th. If you are interested, please email Scott Searle at Scottsearle[at]rogers.com

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Thursday, November 10, 2011

Two suggestions

1) Follow me on "The Twitter". You know you want to. Get the news first on Twitter before it's posted on the blog. Sign up here.

2) I'm working hard on this moustache. Yet none of you have sponsored me for Movember despite the proceeds going to a good cause as well as providing a tax receipt. C'mon, all this labouring over a keyboard to provide fastball news and Caveman stories has to be worth something to you? Even five bucks? Click here to sponsor.

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Thursday, November 03, 2011

Fastball players inducted into Kemptville Sports Hall of Fame

Midget fastball team, golf pro and legendary softball builder among those inducted into North Grenville Sports Hall of Fame
By Ashley Kulp

EMC Sports - A who's who of North Grenville athletes and sports builders were out in full force Oct. 27 for the North Grenville Sports Hall of Fame's 2011 induction ceremony at the North Grenville Municipal Centre.

Four individuals (golf professional Henry Brunton, snowmobiling trainer Lois Beckett, kayaker Adrian Richardson and Kemptville's 'Mr. Softball,' John Patrick 'Jack' Higgins) along with one team (the 1966 Kemptville midget fastball team) who have all helped to enrich the sporting history of North Grenville were inducted during the event. They will be represented in the municipal centre arena foyer on the large-screen TV and also on the hall of fame website (www.ngsportlegacy.ca).

Heather Burns and Doug Rigby, co-chairs of the North Grenville Sports Hall of Fame selection committee, served as masters of ceremonies during the evening. The hall of fame committee selected the inductees from nominations submitted by members of the community. Other committee members include: Debbie Wilson, Alison Johnston, Ted Cooper, Bill Forbes, Chal Conn, Barb Tobin, along with the Municipality of North Grenville's Tammy Hurlbert and Darren Patmore.

Before the main portion of the ceremony got underway, guests were treated to refreshments and hors d'oeuvres served by members of the Kemptville 73's Junior A hockey club. They could also mix and mingle with other visitors and view an impressive display of memorabilia.

North Grenville mayor David Gordon was first to address the packed crowd and indicated how pleased he was to be at the induction ceremony. He underlined how important sports can be to a community.

"The inductees are a strong representation and example of community athletes, teams and builders who have promoted sports and healthy lifestyles to our broader community," he explained.

Leeds-Grenville MPP Steve Clark echoed Gordon's comments and noted that sports has been a part of his life for as long as he can remember and it has enriched it deeply.

"...The relationships made when playing sports has transcended a lot of my jobs," he remarked. "Sports brings people together from all backgrounds and all walks of life...when that goal gets scored, it doesn't matter where you live or what background you have, we all stand up and cheer. Sports unites us as we all work towards a common goal."

Committee member Bill Forbes took a moment before inductees were honoured to salute the Adam Harlow Fellowship Fund. The non-profit organization created over 10 years ago which provides registration funds and equipment to children unable to afford to play hockey, was the recipient of proceeds from the North Grenville Sports Hall of Fame's first golf tournament held at Rideau Glen Golf Course in May.

"Over 100 young athletes have benefited from the Adam Harlow Fellowship Fund," Forbes commented, adding that a $1,500 donation was realized for the fund. "...It seems fitting that this type of community effort fit in well with the hall of fame. I'm certain this well help assist young aspiring hockey players today."

Plans are in place to hold the second annual golf tournament next May 2012 where proceeds will benefit a different local charity or sporting organization.

Ted Cooper, with the help of Gordon, also presented hall of fame pins to a group of last year's inductees in attendance at this year's ceremony.

GAW SERVES AS GUEST SPEAKER

Guest speaker and local sports legend Sam Gaw had the audience's full attention when he addressed the crowd as the evening's guest speaker. Gaw, who was inducted for his contributions to hockey during last year's inaugural induction ceremony, shared some old memories he had of fellow inductee and Kemptville native Frank Boucher, who played with the New York Rangers for 10 years. Boucher also has the distinction of winning the Lady Byng Trophy a record seven times in eight years.

Gaw, who noted his favourite hockey player was Toronto Maple Leaf Syl Apps, got emotional when remembering when Boucher invited him to a Rangers training camp in 1943. He said the sport of hockey was much different back then.

"Back in those days, teams would take one goalie with them on the road and if he got injured they would try to get

some brave person from the crowd to take his place," Gaw remarked as the audience laughed.

He stressed that residents of North Grenville should feel blessed they live in this part of the world. "These days we watch TV and you see all that goes on in the world, Kemptville is a good place to live. With the hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, fires and famine, we've been very, very fortunate," he said.

INDUCTEES HONOURED

First to be inducted into the North Grenville Sports Hall of Fame for 2011 was Lois Beckett, who was born in Burritts Rapids in 1940. While she was heavily involved in the Kemptville Women's Fastball League, it is her commitment to the sport of snowmobiling that earned her the nod into the hall of fame.

Beckett championed the need for safety in the sport and took a leadership role in helping develop the driver training program for snowmobilers aged 14 and up. "Under Lois' leadership, this fledgling provincial program took shape," notes the induction program. "Despite the opposition to change, she recruited volunteers to teach the classes and sponsorship to financially support the program. Her perseverance and dedication convinced snowmobile clubs all over Ontario to embrace the concept of a safety course for newcomers to the sport."

Though Beckett passed away in 1987, to this day, 5,000 Ontario students graduate from the program she helped build, each year. Beckett continues to be remembered for her efforts through the prestigious Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) Driver Trainer of the Year award, which was created in her name.

The sponsor of Beckett's induction, Robert Noseworthy of Westerra Homes, presented Beckett's award to her sister Pauline McIntosh.

One of the most recognizable names in Canadian golf, Henry Brunton, who has been Canada's national golfing coach with the CPGA (Canadian Professional Golfers' Association) since 1999, was next to be inducted. Brunton was raised in Kemptville and was a skilled player in a variety of sports but his true love became golf. A member of the CPGA since 1985, Brunton has developed a passion for helping develop the golf games of junior players. Teams who have succeeded in winning the 2001 Four Nations Cup and the 2003 Americas Cup under his tutelage.

He also coached the 2006 Canadian national men's golf team to a silver medal finish at the 2006 World Championships and followed that up with a bronze medal for the junior team in 2010.

Brunton is also a published author and educator and helped establish the national teacher and coach educator program which is widely acclaimed within the CPGA. His impression on the golf community has earned him several accolades, including being the first and only Canadian named by Golf Magazine as one of America's Top 100 Teachers.

Steve Thibert of Tibbs Transport presented Brunton with the honour. "This is a fantastic honour and it's a real pleasure to be here," Brunton remarked. "I thank the community and all the sponsors for this tremendous honour. It's really special for me. When asked by the papers in Toronto what this felt for me, I said this is at the top of the list."

Brunton has happy memories of growing up in Kemptville. "Someone said the most important decision you can make in your life is choosing your parents and it's the best decision I ever made," he said, referring to parents Doug and Catherine Brunton.

He thanked his wife Rhonda and his son as well as his sisters and one of his first coaches and mentors, Rick Kotlarchuk. He also noted it was fun to see his Grade 2 and Grade 7 teachers in the audience.

"Being from Kemptville is a celebration for me. I'm very proud to be from here and my life has been enriched because I'm from Kemptville, the chances I got to play sports and being allowed to grow up here...I wouldn't trade this for anything," Brunton stated.

Lifelong North Grenville resident Jack Higgins, born in 1923 in Oxford Mills, was inducted for his hard work in developing fastball in the community. In 1937 he began playing baseball for the Kemptville Senior Men's League and played in area leagues until 1954 before founding Kemptville's major softball tournaments, something he developed for 30 years which earned him the title of 'Mr. Softball.'

Throughout the years, the softball tournaments became known as a gathering of the best of the best in Ontario and raised more than $300,000 for organizations including the Kemptville Lions Club, Kemptville District Hospital and Riverside Park.

Higgins also continued to coach bantam, midget and juvenile softball teams as well as serving on a number of boards and executives, including the Ontario Amateur Softball Association and president of the Interprovincial Junior Fastball League. He was also a valued member of the Knights of Columbus and Lions.

Sponsor Royal LePage Gale Real Estate's Harry Pratt presented Higgins with his award and he stepped up to say thank you. "I've had a lengthy career and an enjoyable career and the major softball tournament was very dear to my heart," Higgins commented. "...For years we drew thousands of people into Riverside Park. It wasn't easy to get all these teams. People might think I just sent out letters and folded my arms and waited. That wasn't the case. I worked my butt off, but it was thoroughly enjoyable."

"...It was a great ride and meant a lot to Kemptville and I was only too glad to help out on different projects," he concluded.

Kayaker Adrian Richardson, who moved to North Grenville in 1995 with his family at the age of 14, soon began sprint kayaking with the Rideau Canoe Club and could often be seen training in front of his house and paddling between the Burritts Rapids locks and Merlyn Wilson Bridge.

He earned a spot on the Canadian canoe/kayak team in 1996 and competed in his first international competition in Hungary. Some of his accomplishments include a bronze medal at the 1999 Pan American Games and ended his career on the highest note possible, winning two gold medals at the 2001 World Canoe/Kayak Cup in Georgia. At the international level, Richardson has had over 20 top three finishes in the national canoe/kayak championships.

After retiring in 2001, from 2003 to 2005 Richardson served as head coach for the Rideau Canoe Club and passed on the knowledge and skills he learned in the sport. Under his direction, Rideau Canoe Club athletes earned 13 gold medals at the Canadian Canoe/Kayak Championships in 2004, and has also coached four athletes on the Canadian team, two of which participated in the 2008 Olympics.

Sponsor Tallman Truck Centre's Gerald Tallman honoured Richardson with his award.

"Thank you very much for the opportunity to be invited to this ceremony," Richardson noted. "It's a pleasure to be a part of such great company. There's so much history of sports here in North Grenville."

He said his kayaking career got underway after his parents forced him to make a "life changing decision" to either continue down the wrong path or make a decision to stay out of trouble. Richardson chose the latter. "I picked kayaking and I was lucky. I got in the kayak and everything seemed to work out," he stated.

The final inductees of the evening were the 1966 Kemptville midget fastball team who were crowned All Ontario Champions in 1966, marking the first time a Kemptville team has won a provincial championship.

"This was a real fun ball team to follow and there were a lot of people in this room who were big fans," noted Burns as she introduced the team.

Guided by head coach Keith Forbes (inducted into the hall of fame last year) and assistant coaches Forrest Christie and Ken Burchill, the team of 15 and 16-year-olds made the decision to play against teams in the South Carleton league, which was comprised of adults. "Despite the age and size differences, the skill of the players shone through," notes the induction program.

It was a great amount of commitment by families, sponsors, coaches and parents and players for the team to attempt to enter the Ontario playdowns. They took out Kingston, then Picton, Binbrook and finally Cochrane, before claiming the championship.

"When the boys arrived home they were honoured by a spontaneous downtown night parade, another first for Kemptville," states the program. "The next year the team entered the South Carleton Fastball League and went on to win many local, area and a provincial championship again in 1969."

In addition to the coaching staff, members of the team included: catchers Clarke Christie and Mike McGinn, pitchers Murray Hyndman and Doug Montgomery, first baseman Gerald Christie, second baseman Gary Christie, third baseman Neil Forbes, shortstop Bill Forbes, outfielders Ron Donnelly, Dave Gaw, Bryan Burchill, Alan Forbes and Eric Buckingham.

Many members of the 1966 team were in attendance to accept the honour and others who have since passed had family members who represented them at the ceremony.

Gerald Christie noted he would like to "thank our parents for driving us all over the province of Ontario. Without them, I wouldn't be here today."

He noted that Keith Forbes was a firm head coach. "Keith drilled balls at us left and right and we thought he was being rough on us but he said we would get it in the games and he was right, we did," Gerald said. "Years later we found out he was a drill sergeant in the army!"

McGinn said he was asked to come from Brinston to play with the team and he was "very happy to do so."

"I thank Keith Forbes for asking me to play because I don't think I ever thanked him," he said. "It was a great life experience and I had a wonderful time and made some great friendships."

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Wednesday, November 02, 2011

Congrats to Scott Searle on being named to Provincial committee

SOFTBALL ONTARIO ADDS THREE NEW COACHES COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO ITS LINE-UP
Toronto, ONTARIO- Softball Ontario welcomes three (3) additions to its Coaching Committee which include the following individuals Stephanie Mordus of Windsor, ON; Dave Mahaffey of Orillia,ON and Scott Searle of Orleans, ON.

Below is a brief bio on each of the new Committee Member:

Stephanie Mordus has an impressive background in Softball and anyone would be honoured to have her as a part of their team. Steph started off as a player, 3rd base to be exact where she received numerous All-Star awards for her performance and the natural progression was for Steph to move in to the Coaching aspect of the game. Steph is the current Assistant Coach for both the University of Windsor and University of Detroit Mercy, an active Softball Ontario Learning Facilitator/Evaluator, the Camp Coordinator for the Windsor Lady Expos Fast Pitch Association, the Head Organizer/Instructor for the Windsor Lady Expos Fast Pitch Association, a Member of the Windsor Lady Expos Board of Directors and a Member of the Ontario Intercollegiate Women’s Fast Pitch Association Board Member - Team Rep.

Dave Mahaffey has over ten years of experience in the great game of Softball through Umpiring and Coaching. Recently, Dave’s focus shifted from officiating to coaching within the Georgian Bay Minor Softball League as the Head Coach at the House league, Select and Competitive Levels. As a Director on the Board for his local softball association, he has instructed at many local in house player clinics specifically in Pitcher/Catcher clinics. Dave believes in coach education and has obtained “trained” status in Learn to Coach and Competition-Introduction, Softball. He has always been a great support of Softball Ontario programs specifically instructing at Softball Ontario Umpire clinics. He is enthusiastic about softball and is willing to share his knowledge within the softball community. Dave brings a perspective from the male house league and provincial level to the Softball Ontario Coaching Committee.

Scott Searle has a unique background that has an idea mix of Softball and Education and is an excellent edition to the Softball Ontario Coaches Committee. Scott was selected by the Principal of his school to develop polices for Substance Abuse and Right to Play. Scott is currently working on his NCCP Level 4 Certification for Softball; is currently the Head Coach for the University of Ottawa Softball team and has been since 2006; he was the Head Coach for the Orleans Rebels Junior Women’s Team form 2009-2011; he was a guest coach at Simon Fraser University Softball Evaluation Camp; Evaluator Canada Games Team Ontario for the Women’s Program and is the Hitting Coaching for Team Ontario Men’s Program. In addition to Scott’s coaching experience he is also an active Learning Facilitator and Evaluator for Softball Ontario, Clinic Instructor for OASA Skills Clinic and Program Instructor for PWSA’s Colour Your Dream program.

The Softball Ontario Coaching Committee is responsible for the delivery of Softball Ontario’s National Coaching Certification Program including Learn to Coach, Keep Coaching and Competition-Introduction, Softball, Softball: Level 3 technical. Coaching Committee members are also responsible for setting program goals and objectives, representing the Coaching Program and working to provide Coach Education and resources in the province of Ontario.

The Coaching Committee is currently involved in the following programs with more project underway:
· The National Coaching Certification Program for Softball in the Province of Ontario at the Community Sport and Competitive Stream
· International Coaching Symposium with Softball Canada

If you have any questions about the Softball Ontario Coaches Program or the selection process of the Softball Ontario Coaches Committee, please contact Steph Sutton via email at ssutton@softballontario.ca or by phone 416-426-7150.

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Tuesday, November 01, 2011

Moustache season is upon us

As many of you are likely aware, the month of November is often referred to as "Movember" as men grow moustaches to raise awareness and funds for men's health, specifically prostate cancer.

This year, I have decided to join the cause and will be growing a nice duster for my annual trip to the Vanier Cup / Grey Cup at the end of November. Note Mrs Fastball has not been informed of this yet - still working on how to break it to her.

Anyway, I am sure plenty of you have either donated already or perhaps are even participating yourself. But if you are interested in donating to my effort, my page is here: http://MoBro.co/fitzroyfastball.

BONUS: While I generally don't do any self portraits on this site, if I raise over $100, I'll post a photo on the blog of the final product.

DOUBLE BONUS: If the total gets over $200, I'll post a photo of the Caveman rocking his "moustache" which is forming part of his Halloween costume tonight.

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