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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, September 26, 2013 | 20 WELCOME TO OAKVILLE LITTLE LEAGUE! Thank you for a great 2013 season! Breast Cancer Foundation, and over $2300 was raised through the generosity of the families in our League. The Blastball and T-Ball divisions had their final games at Cornwall Park during a two week long closing gala at the end of July. The sounds of excited players and cheering parents, relatives, and friends created a buzz around the park. The smiles and looks on the players' faces as they received their trophies was a sight to see. The T-Ball "Red" Division playoff finals were pushed into September due to the bad weather. On a cold and windy night, with the stands packed, these 7 and 8 year old players put on a superlative display of hitting and defense. In the end, the Jays defeated the Mets for the championship in a game that came down to the last inning. The playoffs for our Minor and Major divisions produced two weeks of action- packed baseball. Close games, dazzling plays, great pitching and hitting ­ all of this was going on at Cornwall Park. The momentum changed in these games inning by inning. In the end, four teams were crowned as Champions: Minor A (Nationals) , Minor AA (Athletics) , Minor AAA (Giants) Major (Cubs). When the players in OLL turn 13, they move from Cornwall Park and into Junior Division to continue their OLL experience. We call it "BASEBALL BEYOND THE W.O.M.B." (World of Major and Minor Baseball)". The Junior division boasted 10 teams again this season, and the Giants were the champions of the division defeating the upstart Blue Jays team in a closely contested final in August. The Senior Division had six very competitive teams. The Athletics outlasted the Expos 17-16 in an extra inning nail-biter to claim the Senior Division championship. The second season for the Big League Division was evenly balanced with four outstanding teams competing. The division boasted a tremendously high level of skill and competition. The Red Sox defeated the Nationals 5-1 in a real pitcher's duel. This division is expected to grow next season as more players aged 17 to 20 come `out of retirement' to play ball again. OAKVILLE LITTLE LEAGUE INTRODUCES NEW "INTERMEDIATE" DIVISION. The 2014 season will see the introduction of a new Intermediate division. This division will be for 13 year old players who are moving up from smaller baseball fields in the Major division to the larger diamonds, and it will make the transition to the Junior division much smoother. OAKVILLE 21 | Thursday, September 26, 2013 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com Oakville Little League (OLL) has been offering baseball to players aged 4-19 since 1992. Its' mission is "to provide the youth of Oakville with opportunities to develop citizenship, discipline, teamwork, and physical well-being through baseball". The goal of OLL is to promote the all-round development of young people, not just baseball players. Baseball just happens to be the vehicle used to develop life skills that extend beyond the game. OLL is first and foremost a House League program. Regardless of age, experience, size or ability every player gets a chance to play and succeed, and they all play together in House League. In 2013, over 1050 players played on 90 teams in 12 divisions of baseball. From the 4 year olds starting their baseball experience in Blastball, to the 19 year olds playing their last OLL season in the Big League division, the players provided all of us a summer of baseball which we will not soon forget. For more information on OLL, please go to our web-site (www.ollb.org) or email us at administration@ollb.org The Intermediate division will be played on a field with a 50-foot pitching mound and 70-foot bases. Players will be taught advanced skills such as pickoff attempts and leading off on a field which is more appropriate to their age and abilities. More details on the Intermediate division will be available on our league web-site (www.ollb.org) shortly. Autism Ontario Halton Chapter, Oakville Little League and the Joy of Learning Centre have joined forces and developed the Halton Challenger Baseball division. This division provides the opportunity for children and teenagers who fall within the Autism Spectrum to learn beginner and experienced baseball skills and take part in interleague baseball games and tournaments. The Halton Challenger division was founded in 2010 and is growing larger every year. The season starts in early May and runs until the end of August. Each week we start off with practice and drills, followed by an interleague game, and wrap up with a trip to the "Snack Shack" Oakville Little League is very proud to be a partner in the Challenger Division. This year participation in the second consecutive season of the 4-week Fall Ball Program doubled, with over 200 players ranging in ages from ages 7 to 15. The program involves a clinic on Saturday that stresses the basic skills of hitting, fielding, and throwing. On Sunday, `sandlot' or pickup games are played at all levels. The informal structure of Fall Ball emphasizes fun and learning over competiveness. OLL partnered with "Food for Life" for the 2013 Fall Ball program, and all participants in the free program were asked to make a donation to Food for Life. To date, over $2000 has been raised. OLL would like to thank all of the families for their generous donations. CHALLENGER LEAGUE BASEBALL DIVISION 2014 OLL EARLY-BIRD REGISTRATION As the 2013 season ends, Oakville Little League is already planning for the 2014 season. OLL will be holding an early registration for the 2014 season and will offer Early-Bird rates until Sunday, October 6. These early-bird rates offer substantial savings (up to $50) from the regular registration rates. The registration will take place at the OLL Fieldhouse, 425 Cornwall Road, Oakville. Please go to our web-site (www.ollb.org) for dates and times of registrations. We look forward to having you as a member of Oakville Little League in 2014. Come out and register! OAKVILLE LITTLE LEAGUE FALL BALL 2013 LITTLE LEAGUE HOUSE LEAGUE SEASON The 2013 Oakville Little League House League season was a major success. Starting in May and ending in early September, everyone involved from players to coaches to fans were treated to some incredible baseball. The season began the second weekend of May, and "pink" was the theme as we opened the season with our annual Mother's Day Gala. All proceeds from the concession this weekend went to the Canadian OLL runs the Oakville Whitecap All-Star and Select program for the more skilled players in the League. This gives our players the opportunity to compete at a higher level of baseball and to learn more in-depth skills and strategies. The Whitecaps proudly represent OLL and the Town of Oakville in regional, provincial and national level tournaments. Oakville Little League is part of Ontario District 1, which also includes Ancaster, Dundas, Erindale, High Park, Niagara, and Stoney Creek. The All-Star and Select teams from 6U to 18U play in tournaments in the GTA, Western New York, Windsor, and Ottawa. The 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U, and 18U can advance to provincial, national, and international championships. At the 12U (Major All-Star) level, the team has an opportunity to participate in the "Little League World Series", one of the most visible and important youth sports tournaments in the world. The team winning the Canadian Little League Championships advances to the International Championship in Williamsport, PA. Following is a recap of the 2013 season for our Oakville Whitecap teams. T-BALL PROGRAM - Our 6U, 7U, and 8U teams participated in 4 local tournaments and were very competitive in all of them. The future looks very bright for our youngest Whitecaps. 9U SELECT - The 9U team capped a very successful season with a victory in the Stoney Creek Labour Day Tournament. This was their fourth tournament victory of the season with earlier championships in Ancaster, Dundas, and the Scott Tokessey (Ottawa) Tournament. Things bode well for the 2014 season for our 9U Whitecaps. 10U ALL-STAR ­ The 10U All-Star team had a great season. They started the season with a championship in the Ancaster tournament and followed this up with a championship in Dundas. They reached the finals in all five tournaments in which they were entered, including the Ontario District 1 Championship where they were defeated by eventual Provincial champions High Park in the third and deciding game. 11U SELECT ­ The 11U Whitecaps capped a good season by winning the "American League" division of the Dundas tournament. They reached the final in one other tournament, and they also won the consolation final in the Millcreek Summer Sizzler (Erie, PA) tournament. The competed hard in all of their tournaments, many of which were against older competition. 12U SELECT ­ The 12U Select team reached two semi-finals in the five tournaments they entered. They participated in a wood bat tournament in Cooperstown, NY, and can be proud of their performance against the American competition. 12U MAJOR ALL-STAR ­ The Major All-Star team was victorious in the Ontario District 1 Championship, defeating High Park in the third and deciding game of the tournament. They represented Oakville very well at the Provincial tournament in Casselman. The team was defeated by East Nepean in the final, which went on to represent Canada at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA. They completed an extraordinary season by winning their final tournament in Dundas. 14U SELECT ­ The 14U Select team participated in five tournaments this year, often competing against teams with players one to two years older than our players. The highlight of the season came in the Guelph Tournament where they went undefeated in round robin play, only to lose to the host in a close final. 14U JUNIOR ALL-STAR ­ The Junior All-Stars had an extremely busy summer, playing in six tournaments. They represented District 1 in the Ontario Junior Little League Championships. The team went 3 ­ 0 in pool play, but they were defeated in the semi-final by the eventual champions East Nepean. They competed in the Bantam SOBA Provincial Championships, making it to the fourth round. 16U SENIOR ALL-STAR -The Senior All-Stars featured many first time Little League all-stars. They participated in three tournaments and represented District 1 in the Ontario Senior Little League Championships. Although the record may not indicate it, the 16U team had a very rewarding season. 18U BIG LEAGUE ALL-STAR - The Big League All-Stars played in three tournaments, reaching the semi-finals or finals in each of them. They represented District 1 in the Ontario Big League Championships. The team went undefeated in pool play, but was defeated by Oakville's nemesis East Nepean team in the final game. Oakville Whitecap Tournaments. OLL hosts 3 prestigious high-level tournaments during the season. These tournaments attract teams from the GTA, Western New York, and the Ottawa region. a)Oakville Whitecap T-Ball Tournament : This tournament attracts 6, 7, and 8 year old teams from the area. It has become the season-opening tournament for most teams. This year, 10 teams participated, with the High Park Braves winning both the "A" and "B" Division. The three Oakville teams in the tournament played outstanding baseball. b) Canada Day Classic Tournament: This was the inaugural year for this tournament, and it promises to grow and become one of the premiere tournaments for the Junior Little League/Bantam OBA (Age group 13-14). This year, 12 teams competed. The 14U Junior Whitecaps made it to the semi-finals of the tournament. c) Adam Fedoruk Memorial Tournament: This year, Oakville hosted 12 teams in the15th season of this annual tournament. Established in 1999, The Adam Fedoruk Memorial tournament is a very special tournament that OLL hosts as a lasting tribute to Adam Fedoruk. Adam was a player in Oakville Little League who absolutely loved the game of baseball. Tragically, Adam died along with his sister, his mother and a visiting relative in a house fire on August 16, 1998. In Adam's memory, OLL established a bursary fund that honours players in our League who are entering their first year of postsecondary education, and who exemplify the traits that Adam exhibited. This year, the first recipients of the Adam Fedoruk Bursary were named. Kaelan Leedham and Josh Terlizzese each received $1,500 to be used toward the tuition cost of their postsecondary education. The Oakville 12U All-Star team continued their outstanding season by defeating the High Park Braves in the final. Join the Oakville Little League Team ­ Become a Volunteer! Oakville Little League prides itself on running the league solely with the help of volunteers who are committed to making a difference for our young athletes. If you are interested in becoming a part of Oakville Little League in any capacity, please go to our website www.ollb.org for more information. Your support is greatly appreciated. OAKVILLE LITTLE LEAGUE SPONSORSHIP A Passion for Living Abbey Eye Care Axis Capital Bell Chisholm Academy Corbetts Source for Sports Oakville Little League would like to thank all of the sponsors that supported the League throughout the 2013 season. Sponsorship is vital to our League, helping us to offset the overall cost of running a youth sports organization that promotes the all-round development of young people. Register Now Division Age Blastball 4 T-Ball 5-6 7-8 T-Ball Minor A 8-9 Minor AA 10 Minor AAA 11 Major 12 Int / Junior 13 - 14 Senior 15 - 17 Big League 17 - 20 Oakville Little League - 2014 Youth Baseball Registration Oakville Little League offers: Register Now Ford Motor Company of Canada Delta Mayfair Charities Association Devine Solutions Dr. Michael Vrbensky EmbroidMe Future Stars Geo Kamp Limited John Willmott Architect Maloney Management Newton Realty Nexus Staffing Inc. Oakville Angels Softball Oakville Rent-All & Sales Ltd. Odan-Detech Group Inc. Panera Bread Rosetown Refrigeration Sid's Trophies Trafalgar Ridge Montessori WHERE: OAKVILLE LITTLE LEAGUE FIELDHOUSE, 425 Cornwall Road Early Bird Registration Deadline is Sunday October 6th The largest youth baseball organization in Oakville. The highest caliber, fun and fair-play house leagues. Grass infields, pitching mounds, outfield fences & dugouts for ages 9 & up. The only All-Star program to compete in Senior, Junior & Little League World Series play downs. Fees include: Major League replica uniform, individual & team photos. Proud Sponsor of Oakville Little League For more information call 905-827-1831 or register online at www.ollb.org