Death of SMSA volunteer Ben Wilson

Just today I learned of the death of Ben Wilson, a volunteer with Stittsville Minor Softball Association. I didn't know Ben well, but had dealt with him many times on scheduling issues for minor softball in our area and always enjoyed our interactions as he was an intelligent, helpful, personable guy.


He died last month at 47.


A nice tribute on the SMSA website reads as follows:


By Melanie Driver


It is with great sadness the SMSA community shares the loss of one of their volunteers as Ben Wilson passed away from a heart attack on January 23^rd.  At just 47 years old, the baseball community has truly lost a very special person this week.  Ben has been in charge of scheduling games and practices for the entire house league and competitive programs for the last 3 years.  He was a tremendous asset to the SMSA team as he received countless last minute requests for field time and was always available to help find something.  The 2017 season brought a new set of challenges with the relentless rain and cancellations but Ben was able to recover the vast majority of all games by continually shifting times and fields to accommodate teams.


Ben was originally from New Hartford (NY) and he brought his gentle, laid back American demeanor with him when he moved to Canada.  He was a thoughtful, caring individual who loved to have fun and always had time for a friend.  He was tireless volunteer, and a father of 3 who loved his family.  He was a dedicated head coach for children’s teams, and a ball enthusiast who devoted numerous hours to the kids he coached.  A more genuine person you will not find.


Thanks to Ben for the countless hours he put in to our association helping provide a place for some 500 kids to play ball each year.  On behalf of everyone at SMSA, we would like to extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends, and we wish them brighter days ahead.


Rest in peace my friend, you will be deeply missed.


Respectfully yours,
Stittsville Minor Softball Association

Michael J Scott Memorial Tournament - Richmond Hill / July 6 - 8

The inaugural Michael J Scott Memorial Tournament for intermediate men will take place July 6 - 8, 2018.

The long standing Richmond Hill Fastball League tournament is being re-branded to commemorate the contributions of Michael J Scott to Goulding Park Minor Softball and the North York Fastball League.

Teams will be guaranteed 3 round robin games with playoffs on Sunday. The playoff format and payouts will depend on how many teams enter. Entry fee will be $400 -$450. The pulled pork and the coldest beverages you could ask for will be available at Town Park. Games will also be played at nearby Crosby Park.

Deadline for teams to confirm will be Friday June 15th.

Feel free to spread the word on this tournament to other teams or contacts that you have that you think might be interested in participating.

Interested teams looking for more details are asked to contact either:

Dave Northern at dave.northern1@gmail.com 905-706-7873

or

Joe Van Der Valk at joevv1@gmail.com 647-281-6108 

NCCP Professional Development Points Webinar Series - Andrea Wolfe

NCCP Professional Development Points Webinar Series

Our 2018 Webinar Series lineup continues! Each webinar is 1 (one) hour in length (8:00 pm EST on the dates listed).

Those who register will be granted 1 (one) Professional Development Point per webinar.

Pricing: $15.00 (plus HST) per webinar

Registration for Webinars close at 1:00 pm EST on the presentation date.

                                              
                                                Click the image below for more information!

OASA seeking Canada Games 2021 coaches

The Ontario Amateur Softball Association (OASA) is seeking applications for the head coach and assistant coach positions for Team Ontario Men's Softball that will participate in the 2021 Summer Canada Games. More information here: http://oasa.ca/2018_Info/team_on_coaching.pdf.

Death of Steve Bedard

Steve Bedard, a longtime umpire from the Cobourg / Trenton area, who was also involved in the Bradford-Cane tournament, has died. Al's Fastball has the story here.

Softball Canada Internship opportunity in Ottawa

Softball Canada Internship

Softball Canada is a non-profit member-based National Sport Organization that provides a range of opportunities for softball athletes, coaches, officials, clubs and Provincial/Territorial Softball Associations through the development, delivery and promotion of softball programs and services at the National and International level.

Internship Opportunity: April 30 – August 24, 2018 (Five days per week or 37.5 hours)

Location: Ottawa, Ontario

Job Summary: Softball Canada requires an energetic and ambitious individual for an exciting internship within our office in Ottawa.  In this position, you will offer administrative and project-related support in all areas of Softball Canada’s operations including but not limited to:  program development/delivery for athletes, coaches and officials, marketing and communications, sponsorship, event management (Canadian Championships and Softball Canada events), as well as assisting in the Triple Play, Canpitch and Timbits Softball Programs.

Key Responsibilities:

• Assist in the development and delivery of Softball Canada programs and services
• Assist in organizing Softball Canada events including up to twelve (12) Canadian Championships
• Assist in marketing and promoting Softball Canada programs and services including writing articles for  newsletters, social media, updating Softball Canada’s web site, and assisting in media releases
• Assist with various administrative tasks including answering phones, filing, processing resource orders, etc.
• Other duties as required

Qualifications:

• Degree or a student in sport management, physical education or related programs
• Experience in any of the following areas:
  • Program development, delivery and promotion
  • Event management
  • Marketing and Sponsorship
• Experience working with volunteers
• Demonstrated leadership skills
• Excellent computer skills
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• A creative self-starter with the ability to work independently or as a part of a team
• Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills with the ability to work on a large number of projects simultaneously, while meeting deadlines
• Be registered as a full-time student in a community college or university in the 2017-2018 academic year and intend to return to school on a full-time basis in the 2018-2019 academic year
• Not attending school full-time while employed in this position
• Bilingualism is an asset
• Flexible to work occasional evenings/weekends as required

Application Deadline: February 19, 2018

Compensation: $15/hour

Send cover letter and resume to:

Softball Canada  Attn: Mike Branchaud
Suite 212 - 223 Colonnade Road
Ottawa, Ontario  K2E 7K3
Fax: 613-523-5761 or Email: mbranchaud@softball.ca
www.softball.ca 

We would like to thank all candidates for their applications, but we will only be contacting those selected for an interview.