Gee-Gees reach out to community and say thanks
Gee-Gees reach out to community and say thanks
Free clinic displays Gee-Gees’ commitment and gratitude to the Ottawa fastball community
by Ben Myers - Fulcrum Staff (U of O newspaper)
IT TAKES A lot of friends, favours, and contacts to create a successful sports program, and every once in a while it’s good to step back and say thank you to the people who don’t step foot on the field, but are very much a part of the team.
On Sept. 22, the women’s fastball team put aside their competitive tendencies and took some time to give back to the community that supports them.
The Gee-Gees took the morning to teach some young players from Ottawa’s east end both the fundamentals and the intricacies of fastball (also known as softball). On the infield, players as young as eight years old were taught pitching, fielding, and batting. In the outfield, the Gee-Gees taught some interesting lessons to older players about how to manipulate umpires and look cool while diving to catch a fly ball.
“For the first couple years, funding was a problem. So we were really lucky to [be able to] borrow equipment, borrow diamond rentals, [and] the community associations [were] really helpful,” said Gee-Gees head coach Scott Searle.
Searle explained that all levels of fastball in Canada are attempting to draw attention to the sport and promote it to a younger audience.
“There’s a big push from all coaches and athletes to revive the sport at the young level—the grassroots level ... so we’re doing our part.”
The melancholic mid-morning weather could hardly dampen the spirits of the dedicated athletes, parents, and former players in attendance.
“It’s a free clinic, all ages ... We try to cover all the basics as quick as we can—so we do infielding, outfielding, hitting ... [and] some fun games,” said Erin Durant, the Gee-Gees fourth-year slugger.
Hartley Sommerville, an eight-year-old from the Orleans competitive youth league, took part in the free clinic and impressed much of the fastball team with his wicked underarm pitch—surprisingly technical and accurate for his age. Mary Sommerville, Hartley’s mother, stated that the Gee-Gees have a positive impact on young players like her son.
“[The Gee-Gees] put a lot of time into talking to the kids,” Ms. Sommerville said. “He’s totally focused on what they’re saying and really paying attention.”
“We get a lot out of it ... One of the best ways to learn a skill is by teaching the skill. So for our players to teach the skill ... it’s reinforcement, which is really good for them,” said Searle after the free clinic concluded.
After a quick lunch, the Gees were back on the field for their afternoon games, a double-header against the Laurier Golden Hawks.
“Laurier’s a really strong team ... I expect a really good challenge for us,” Searle said before the game.
The Gee-Gees women’s fastball program had some interesting T-shirts made for this season, stating, “At the University of Ottawa, we don’t rebuild—we reload.” This phrase has become a rallying cry for a team that lost many important players from last year’s roster and is attempting to fill the holes with rookies.
Many of the Gee-Gees rookies performed well in their team’s first game against Laurier. A strong fourth inning with six hits gave the Gee-Gees a 6-3 lead. Laurier added another run in the sixth inning to make the game close, but Ottawa’s closing pitcher, Jillian Taylor, helped the Gees hold on for the 7-6 win.
In the other weekend games, Ottawa again defeated Laurier 8-5 and then twice beat Waterloo on Sept. 23 with scores of 6-0 and 8-1.
Free clinic displays Gee-Gees’ commitment and gratitude to the Ottawa fastball community
by Ben Myers - Fulcrum Staff (U of O newspaper)
IT TAKES A lot of friends, favours, and contacts to create a successful sports program, and every once in a while it’s good to step back and say thank you to the people who don’t step foot on the field, but are very much a part of the team.
On Sept. 22, the women’s fastball team put aside their competitive tendencies and took some time to give back to the community that supports them.
The Gee-Gees took the morning to teach some young players from Ottawa’s east end both the fundamentals and the intricacies of fastball (also known as softball). On the infield, players as young as eight years old were taught pitching, fielding, and batting. In the outfield, the Gee-Gees taught some interesting lessons to older players about how to manipulate umpires and look cool while diving to catch a fly ball.
“For the first couple years, funding was a problem. So we were really lucky to [be able to] borrow equipment, borrow diamond rentals, [and] the community associations [were] really helpful,” said Gee-Gees head coach Scott Searle.
Searle explained that all levels of fastball in Canada are attempting to draw attention to the sport and promote it to a younger audience.
“There’s a big push from all coaches and athletes to revive the sport at the young level—the grassroots level ... so we’re doing our part.”
The melancholic mid-morning weather could hardly dampen the spirits of the dedicated athletes, parents, and former players in attendance.
“It’s a free clinic, all ages ... We try to cover all the basics as quick as we can—so we do infielding, outfielding, hitting ... [and] some fun games,” said Erin Durant, the Gee-Gees fourth-year slugger.
Hartley Sommerville, an eight-year-old from the Orleans competitive youth league, took part in the free clinic and impressed much of the fastball team with his wicked underarm pitch—surprisingly technical and accurate for his age. Mary Sommerville, Hartley’s mother, stated that the Gee-Gees have a positive impact on young players like her son.
“[The Gee-Gees] put a lot of time into talking to the kids,” Ms. Sommerville said. “He’s totally focused on what they’re saying and really paying attention.”
“We get a lot out of it ... One of the best ways to learn a skill is by teaching the skill. So for our players to teach the skill ... it’s reinforcement, which is really good for them,” said Searle after the free clinic concluded.
After a quick lunch, the Gees were back on the field for their afternoon games, a double-header against the Laurier Golden Hawks.
“Laurier’s a really strong team ... I expect a really good challenge for us,” Searle said before the game.
The Gee-Gees women’s fastball program had some interesting T-shirts made for this season, stating, “At the University of Ottawa, we don’t rebuild—we reload.” This phrase has become a rallying cry for a team that lost many important players from last year’s roster and is attempting to fill the holes with rookies.
Many of the Gee-Gees rookies performed well in their team’s first game against Laurier. A strong fourth inning with six hits gave the Gee-Gees a 6-3 lead. Laurier added another run in the sixth inning to make the game close, but Ottawa’s closing pitcher, Jillian Taylor, helped the Gees hold on for the 7-6 win.
In the other weekend games, Ottawa again defeated Laurier 8-5 and then twice beat Waterloo on Sept. 23 with scores of 6-0 and 8-1.
posted by fitzroyfastball | 9/30/2007 04:04:00 pm
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