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Mr. Softball WAYNE VENNING This gentle giant of a man has dedicated his life to minor softball in Port Perry What fuels a lifetime passion? Certainly early exposure to the activity is one necessary component, and a talent for it often provides another. Both factors inspired Blackstock-born Wayne Vennings, kindling a lifelong love for the game of baseball. And if you've ever played minor ball in Port Perry, in part you have Wayne to hank. nk. “My dad and my brother were both involved in ball, my father as an umpire and my brother as a player,” Wayne remem- bers. “Being tall for my age (he’s now 6’ 6”) definitely helped. And back then, there were fewer choices for summertime sports, so like so many of my generation, I played ball. My love for the game grew from there. “A cottager from Toronto started a team in Cadmus, so I joined up.” This teenage experience, he recounts with a chuckle, involved more than simply athletic skill. “Cows grazed in the same field we used during the week. You had to watch where you stepped!” Finishing his high school in town, Wayne began his involvement with Port Perry softball. “That was 1962, and in my opinion, the ‘golden age’ of softball. It seemed like every centre, like Port Perry, had a good, competitive ball team.” That year, Wayne laid the foundation for the town’s minor program. “Port Pe: had teams which played challenge matches, Please turn to page 24 JUNE FOCUS. 40 pages.indd 23 Wayne Venning, at 6'6” is a tower of a man, but his size does not intimidate ei- the youngest or smallest players in the Port Minor Softball system. That's because this familiar figure has suacesstuly spent his entire life helping develop and promote youth softball in Port Perry. fo by J Peter Hyvidston FOCUS - JUNE 2011 23 5/24/11 8:54:50 AM