HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2007-07-18, Page 9The Huron Expositor • July 18, 2007 Page 9
Sport of baseball is returning to Vanastra
Diamond facelift by slop -pitch team spurs
formation of new t-baII program
Susan Hundertmark
MEM
.After close to seven years
of silence, Vanastra resi-
dents are again hearing the
crack of the bat and cheers
of encouragement at the ball
diamond.
A t -ball program for kids
aged three to eight was set
up this year - with hopes of
reintroducing minor base-
ball in ,Vanastra - after an
adult co-ed slofpit-ch team
spruced up the diamond for
a spring tournament in
May.
Looking for a location for
its annual spring slo-pitch
tournament, the Huron East
team Poles and Holes decid-
ed to hold the tournament
there.
"We usually take turns at
different venues - we've
played at Seaforth, Varna
and Holmesville - and a cou-
ple of our players are from
Vanastra," says Poles and
Holes player/coach Cindy
Windsor.
"The diamond had not
been used for so long it
needed a little TLC but we
thought it was a terrible
shame it was sitting there
and not being used," she
says.
With supplies of lumber
and paint from the munici-
pality, the team volunteered
its labour to repair the
bleachers, erect new foul
poles and paint them pink,
the team's colour.
As well, they dug and
raked to fix up the outfield
and the infield until it was
in usable condition for a
tournament in May.
"It's the perfect place for a
tournament because the rec
centre is right there if it
gets cold," says Poles and
Holes player Mark Stone,
who lives in Vanastra.
Stone has taken on the
responsibility of maintain-
ing the diamond this sum-
mer by keeping the weeds
under control and raking it
once a week.
"People gather at the dia-
Above, Jake Phelan, 3, takes aim at the ball while below,
coach Steve Lostell explains how to open up the glove during
catching practice.
l
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mond if it's being used. A lot
of people walk around
Vanastra at night and they
like to watch ball," he says,
adding that he and a few
friends are also using the
diamond as a place to prac-
tise.
Steve Lostell, also a Poles
and Holes player, decided to
offer t -ball to the local kids
after the diamond was fixed
up.
"I thought if someone
doesn't use it, it will just go
back to the way it was. We
had to start somewhere and
I have two kids of t -ball age
myself," he says.
Lostell grew up playing
ball in Vanastra and wanted
to see Vanastra kids get a
chance to develop some
baseball skills themselves.
"This will give them a
start and see if they enjoy it.
I like to see the children out
there getting some exer-
cise," he says.
Up to 17 kids have shown
up but on average a dozen
come to t -ball every
Thursday at 5 p.m. to learn
how to throw, catch and hit
Susan Hundertmark photos
Corrinn Lostell, 6, concentrates on catching the ball during a
t -ball session last Thursday.
the ball and run the
bases.
"Soccer's been big for
a few years but ball's
making a comeback,"
he says, adding he's
hoping there are
enough interested kids and
parents to be able td begin
at least one minor baseball
team next year.
Lostell says he's glad to
see adults using the dia-
mond as well.
"It's been sitting there a
long time - I'm surprised
they didn't tear it down
before," he says.
Lostell adds there's talk of
beginning a Vanastra slo-
pitch league.
"It could be a couples'
thing where we could have
fun once a week," he says.
"With the playground right
beside it, it's the perfect
location I don't think we
realized how good we had it
as kids."
Vanastra Recreation
Centre manager Lissa
Berard says she's excited to
see the ball diamond being
used again and hopes to see
a pre -mite team added next
year with another team
added each year.
"Hopefully, that gets us
back in the game," says
Berard.
"We didn't bother fixing
the diamond before because
no one used it but the slo-
pitch team did a great job
and made it look fantastic.
They put in a lot of volun-
teer hours," she says.