Despite having a population that continues to decline, Baseball Newfoundland continues to find ways to keep its registration numbers at a fairly elevated level. With so many Newfoundlanders migrating west, it can be difficult to find players every year. But the people at Baseball Newfoundland keep finding them.
“The local associations really worked hard on keeping our registration numbers fairly stable,” says Baseball Newfoundland President Tom Devine.
“The game sells itself here. We’d love to get the numbers up, but we just don’t have the bodies here.”
Keeping registration numbers steady is not the only challenge for Baseball Newfoundland; the weather plays a big factor. While other provinces would be starting their seasons this time of year, Players have yet to be on the field in Newfoundland.
“We have late summers over here; therefore it’s hard to get anybody on the field. In central Canada, spring sprinkles a little earlier so they can go out and do stuff, but here by the time we get started as far as programming we’re in June.”
But the coaches and players do not wait until June to pick up a baseball. Selection camps are already in full swing for provincial teams.
Also, coaches for the Newfoundland Selects team have been scouring the province to identify players to assemble for training camps. They use whatever methods at their disposal to keep competitive with the rest of the country.
In future plans, Newfoundland and Labrador will play host to the 2009 Baseball Canada Fall Convention. Baseball Canada delegates will come into St. John’s where Devine says that they will provide the hospitality that only Newfoundland can offer.
“We’ll have some Newfoundland flavour where entertainment is concerned.”
“People usually enjoy coming here and I expect that when people come here for the convention that we’ll put on a good show.”
.jpeg)
