As the current season of the Peninsula Baseball and Softball Association continues to swing through spring into summer, one aspect has remained B次元官网网址� the associationB次元官网网址檚 defining sense of community and volunteerism.
The 2022 season has heightened this, in celebrating the 30th anniversary of Rotary Park located on Victoria Airport Authority lands. Its three baseball fields and two dedicated softball fields coupled with a playground have not only made the park one of the focal points of recreation on the Saanich Peninsula for just under 200 kids at the association but itB次元官网网址檚 also made Rotary Park a place to be enjoyed for its own sake.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a great community space, and anybody who comes to our park says, B次元官网网址榳ow, you have one of the nicest parks around,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� said Stacey Rees, who sits on the board of the association as a director. B次元官网网址淲e get that all the time.B次元官网网址�
True, players and fans may feel the odd chill here or there thanks to the prevailing winds early in the season, but this turns into an advantage during the hot summer months. The park also offers more than just a pleasant ambience in producing talents as the U-17 team last year won bronze at the provincial championships.
Like so many organizations, the Peninsula Baseball and Softball Association runs on volunteers. For association president Lisa Fenton, volunteering offers its own special kind of magic. It lies in seeing children who enter the association at five progress through it, learning and growing as persons and players.
Fenton saw this magic in her oldest daughter, who came to softball relatively late, having never played team sports before. But thanks to the coaching staff centred on Anthony Pluta, one of the leading coaches in British Columbia, Fenton saw her daughter flourish, gaining confidence along the way. FentonB次元官网网址檚 youngest daughter is now following in her sisterB次元官网网址檚 footsteps in looking to older players for pointers, who in turn help to mentor younger players as part of a virtuous circle.
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Rees has also seen her son go through the system, having started as a six-year-old before leaving youth baseball at the age of 19. At one stage, the family would commute regularly three or four times a week to Victoria for training sessions but eventually found its way back to Rotary Park, with ReesB次元官网网址� daughter still set to play for another three years out of the facility.
With more than a decade of volunteering already under her belt and more to come, Rees has no plans to slow down, in describing herself and her husband as part of a baseball family.
B次元官网网址淚t feels like home,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚t makes me feel good.B次元官网网址�
This commitment is also rooted in ReesB次元官网网址� sense of having grown up in the area. B次元官网网址淚 believe in community,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚 believe in being local.B次元官网网址�
Like other local organizations, the Peninsula Baseball and Softball Association has to re-introduce itself to the region after COVID. B次元官网网址淲e are still recovering from COVID,B次元官网网址� said Fenton. B次元官网网址�(It) has had a bit of an effect on registration. There are still some nervous families out there. Last year (registration) was even lower, but we have seen an increase this year, which makes us hopeful.B次元官网网址�
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