The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the members of the Kanata Little League Baseball Association will take place on Tuesday October 20th, 2009 from 7:00 to 9:00pm in the Lion Dick Brûlé Community Centre, 170 Castlefrank Road, Kanata.

Agenda

• Introduction of Current Executive.
• Brief review of the 2009 season.
• Submission of the Annual Financial Statement.
• Table and vote on Constitutional changes.
• Table any new business.
• Elect the Executive and Board of Directors for the 2010 season.

All current members of the Association as well as anyone interested in becoming a member are encouraged to attend.

There are still some equipment and uniforms that have not been returned.  All items on loan need to be returned to our storerooms as soon as possible.

Coaches and parents should make arrangements with Ron Hauck or Dave Dalton immediately to return the items.

Your co-operation in this matter is appreciated.

Now that the Summer Baseball season is over, all equipment and uniforms need to be returned.  The store rooms at KRC will be open on the following dates to accept drop offs from coaches and/or parents.

• Saturday, August 22 from 9-11am
• Monday, August 24 from 7-8pm
• Wednesday, August 26 from 7-8pm

Coaches and parents that have equipment and uniforms out are asked to please make an effort to return them on the dates above.

If you can't make one of these dates, please contact Ron Hauck or Dave Dalton to make alternate arrangements.

Your co-operation in this matter is appreciated.

This year’s Competitive Awards Banquet will take place Sunday, August 23 from 4 pm to 7 pm at the Kanata Legion. The cost will be $10.00 per person (siblings are welcome) through advance ticket sales from your awards banquet team rep.

Join your team mates, coaches, friends and family to recognize our all of our talented players and tireless volunteers. It’s our way of honouring their significant efforts and contributions to the success of the league. 

We will recognize this year’s recipients of the Dave Dalton Award presented by the coaches to the Most Valuable Player and Most Improved Player of each team. The Major A Cubs Award will be presented to the player who has willingly demonstrated the leadership qualities that focus on team goals and objectives. We are pleased this year to also present the Fred Perry Award to a long-serving volunteer in recognition of many years of hard work and dedication to the league.

An exciting addition to this year’s awards banquet will be a presentation by guest speaker Mike Kusiewicz.

There will be a raffle table with many exciting prizes - exchange your banquet ticket for one free raffle ticket at the door. Enjoy a slideshow highlighting the season’s events on and off the diamond.

Tickets will be available for advance purchase through your awards banquet team rep until Sunday, August 16. We hope to see you all at the banquet on August 23!

For more information, please contact this year’s co-organizers, Colleen Tripp at eyetripp@sympatico.ca or Nina Goodwin at ninatgoodwin@aol.com.

July 29 - Jul 31, 2011 Tournament Info

The annual Scott Tokessy Memorial Gold Glove Tournament is coming up fast. Games start this Friday at 2pm and continue all weekend at various ballparks throughout Kanata.

This is the 14th consecutive year for this tournament held in memory of a young baseball player from Kanata. All proceeds from the tournament go to the Cardiology Department at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO).

So, if you would like to see some great baseball being played this long weekend and help out your community at the same time, come out and visit one of our local ball diamonds. You'll be glad you did.

Please see the Scott Tokessy Tournament website for complete tournament information.

Despite the rainy weather, we are still hosting the Minor District Tournament starting Saturday, July 25th at Scott Tokessy field.

The city has granted us an exception so that we can use the ball diamond this weekend although the original schedule has been modified.

Please check the District 2 web site for the latest schedule and scores.

Pictures from the Minor District Tournament.

Congratulations to our Kanata Senior Cubs.  They defeated Pinecrest 5-3 on Thursday evening to win the District Tournament.

Ryan Murphy pitched 6 innings giving up 2 runs on 7 hits.  Anthony Di Rienzo and Duane Watson came on in relief in the 7th inning to secure the win.

The Cubs will now compete in the Ontario Senior Championship Tournament being held in Orleans.

Good luck to the players and coaching staff.

Pictures from the Senior District Tournament.

We have just received a notice from the city that all sports fields will be closed until Tuesday, July 28. This is due to the excessive amount of rain that we received this past week. The city wants to ensure that the fields have had enough time to dry out before we start using them again.

With this in mind, please stay off the baseball fields until they are officially reopened by the city.

Congratulations to the following Kanata Big League players who have been selected to the District 2 all-star team, the Ottawa Crusaders: James Day, Conner James, Tyler Welch, Cory McCarney, Matt Grodinsky, James Martensen, and for his third straight year Doug McLean.

The Ottawa Crusaders will participate at the Big League Provincial Tournament July 15 to July 19 at Pinecrest Park in Ottawa. Coaching the Ottawa Crusaders for his 7th year is Kanata's own Dave Wilson. Dave brings a wealth of experience to the team including a trip to the Big League World Series in 2005. Dave is joined by Pinecrest coach John Majic now in his third year with the team.

Good luck to the players and coaching staff.

This year's Big League Provincial Tournament is being hosted by Pinecrest Little League and will take place July 15 to July 19 at Pinecrest Park. This is an great opportunity for you to see some excellent baseball played by some of the best young ball players in the province. We encourage you to attend the tournament and support our District 2 team.

For more information on the tournament, check out the Pinecrest web site.

The Spring Season wrapped up on June 20 with fun days and Championship Tournaments taking place in most of the divisions.

Pizza, hot dogs, baseball and smiles were seen at ball diamonds and parks all across the city.

The season went by incredible fast. Hopefully, the kids had enough time to learn some new skills,  make some new friends and most importantly, have fun. 

We hope to see them all back again next year.

More pictures from closing day.

Now that the Spring Baseball season is over, all equipment and uniforms need to be returned.  The store rooms at KRC will be open on Wednesday June 24 and Thursday June 25 7-9PM to accept drop offs from coaches and/or parents.

Coaches and parents that have equipment and uniforms out are asked to please make an effort to return them on the dates above.

If you can't make one of these dates, please contact Ron Hauck or Dave Dalton to make alternate arrangements.

Summer coaches can also pick up their equipment and uniforms at the same time but please make arrangements ahead of time.

Your co-operation in this matter is appreciated.

Major tryouts for the 2009 summer competitive teams will be held at Scott Tokessy field beginning Saturday, June 20. Spring players wishing to try out for any level of summer baseball ("A" or "B") should be in attendance for all three dates so coaches can properly evaluate and place the player in the appropriate level.

Please make sure each child brings their helmet, glove and is in appropriate baseball attire (i.e. baseball cleats, baseball pants, hat, jock/jill, etc).

Tryout Dates:

• Saturday June 20 from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.
• Tuesday June 23 from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
• Wednesday June 24 from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. (Intra-squad Game)

A proposed calendar of events, as well as a preliminary budget for the season ("A" level) will be distributed to all major division parents the week of June 15, in advance of the tryouts. 

If anyone has any questions or concerns, please contact:

Rob Rathwell (Head Coach, Major A) - 613-836-3538
rob.rathwell@kllba.ca

OR

Craig Goodwin (VP Competitive Program, KLLBA)
craig.goodwin@kllba.ca

This years Minor tryouts for the summer competitive teams will be held at WBE. Spring players wishing to tryout should be in attendance for all three dates so coaches can properly evaluate and place the child in the appropriate level "A" or "B". Please make sure each child brings their helmet, glove and is in appropriate baseball attire (i.e. baseball cleats, baseball pants, hat, jock/jill, etc).

• Sunday June 21 from 5:30 - 8:00 p.m.
• Monday June 22 from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
• Tuesday June 23 from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

At that time a calendar of events for the summer program along with the team budget will be provided for the different levels.

I hope all the kids are having fun playing ball this year. Is your child interested in getting to know the game a little better and continue developing his/her skills? Summer ball is the answer. I will be hosting clinics on Saturday June 13 at the Katimavik School/Park from 9-11 a.m. and on Sunday June 14 from 9-11 a.m. at Upper Kinsmen Park. (park at the KRC and walk south) These clinics are not mandatory but I encourage you to participate. 

Also tryouts will be held at Lower Kinsmen Park on Monday June 22 and Tuesday June 23rd from 6-8 p.m. Please pre-register if you have not done so with your competitive coach at lionel.dubois@kllba.ca.

See you at the park. Lionel

Now that our spring season is half complete, the KLLBA is now in the process of making preparations for the summer baseball season. The summer baseball program provides an opportunity for dedicated players to play at a more competitive level and to further develop their skills in a fun-filled and special environment.

Kanata will field both ‘A’ and ‘B’ teams at most levels to compete in a City-wide league and play in various tournaments through the months of July and August.

For complete details please consult the Summer Program Information sheet.

The following clinics are available to all major league players who would like to continue to develop their skills:

• Saturday June 6, 10:00am-12:00pm @ Scott Tokessy Field
• Saturday June 13, 10:00am-12:00pm @ Scott Tokessy Field 

These clinics are open to all major players, and represent an outstanding opportunity for players of all skill levels to get some extra field time. The coaches will insure all players have a couple hours of skill development, as well as foster an environment supporting the player’s continued love of the great game of baseball! The clinics are optional, with that being said, it is strongly recommended that any player interested in playing ball in the summer attend.

The following practice times are available to all minor league players who would like to continue to develop their skills:

• Sunday June 7, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. @ Walter Baker East 
• Sunday June 14, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. @ Walter Baker East 

We will have several coaches from the minor teams participating in different activities and drills for the kids. As well anyone who is looking into playing summer competitive ball, these sessions would be a great workout. They're not mandatory, but we encourage all kids to participate.

Please note these practices are held at Walter Baker East (same diamond as the exhibition games are held at).

This year's league fundraiser, a bottle drive, will take place on Saturday, May 30. 

All players participating should wear their baseball jerseys and caps and meet up with their coaches for a briefing session at the Kanata Recreation Complex, 100 Walter Baker Place. Maps, instructions, etc. will be distributed at that time.

Start times will be staggered as follows, coaches should plan on arriving 15 minutes early.

• Coach Pitch Check In Time: 9:00 a.m.
• Rookie Check In Time: 9:45 a.m.
• Minor Check In Time: 10:30 a.m.
• Major Check In Time: 12:15 p.m.
• Junior Check In Time: 1:00 p.m.

Big League and Senior players are asked to assist with sorting and loading starting at 10:00 a.m. Boxes and sorting instructions will be available on site.

Please note that parents are expected to participate with their children in this event.

Full details.

Our man Rob was out visiting all the ball diamonds on opening day and taking some great pictures along the way.

Nine of the ten diamonds saw action on Monday night with roughly 300 players, coaches and umpires participating on the fields and hundreds of parents and siblings in attendance cheering them on. I'll bet it felt great to be playing baseball again after the long Canadian winter.

By the end of the first week all teams will have had a chance to play one or two games and the season will be in full swing. Enjoy it while it lasts.

More pictures from opening day.

Team pictures for all Coach Pitch, Rookie, Minor, Major and Junior division teams will be taken on Saturday, May 9 at the Kanata Recreation Complex (KRC), 100 Walter Baker Place.

Coaches will be distributing the order forms to their players soon, please try to have it filled out before arriving at the picture session.

Team picture schedule.

The Kanata Little League equipment room in the basement of KRC will be open from 7:00-9:00 PM on Wednesday May 6th for the sale of new helmets, pants & socks.

This is the final equipment sale for the House League season.

All House League coaches & convenors should also use this opportunity to exchange or upgrade their team equipment.

After a lot of hard work by our dedicated group of volunteers, our Spring Baseball program is all set to begin on May 1.  

It looks like the weather is cooperating and the baseball fields have dried up nicely.  For the next eight weeks they will see a lot of action as our teams have been formed are are ready to go out and play ball.

The team coaches should have been in contact with all players by now informing them of when and where to meet for the first practice or game of the season.  

If any registered player still has not been contacted by his/her coach, then please get in touch with the Convenor at the appropriate age group.

Contact information for our Convenors can be found on our Contacts page.

When: Sunday May 3, 6:30-8:30pm
Where: Thunderbird Dome
Who: Open to all active members of KLLBA, coaches, assistants and parents

From 6:30-7:30 Rob Rathwell will present the basic coaching philosophy at KLLBA, coupled with a series of resources available for all to use throughout the spring season, both in terms of equipment and practice planning literature. Handouts will be available indicating core skill focus at each level from Coach Pitch to Junior and a library has been established for the more detailed manuals, practice drills and instructional DVD’s that we have acquired from Little League.

From 7:30-8:30, Dave Dalton, in conjunction with the Mills Pitching Methodology (DVD), will review teaching proper pitching fundamentals and mechanics. This is focused primarily on developing 8-12 year olds, however all are welcome to attend. Fundamental mechanics will be reviewed, along with what to look for to assist in correction. I would recommend this session for all coaches as well as any parents of young pitchers.

Thanks, Rob

With spring weather seemingly upon us, the spring baseball season is just around the corner. Please see below for the schedule for the upcoming spring player sort outs:

All Sort Outs will take place at Thunderbird Dome, 1927 Richardson Side Road, Kanata

Conveners will be in touch shortly with further details (sessions may be further split to accommodate larger divisions).

With that being said, it is EXTREMELY important that every effort be made for your player to be available at sort outs. Note they are not try outs, but evaluations for the Conveners and Coaches at each division to have the opportunity to balance the spring teams to the best of their ability. This gives us the best chance to ensure that EVERY player have an enjoyable spring in a healthy, competitive, learning environment. I thank you in advance for your anticipated co-operation.

Other dates to be aware of:

Again details will follow very shortly, but please mark these dates on your calendar:

• Spring Season Starts – Weekend of May 1^st
• Picture Day – Coach Pitch – Major – May 9^th
• Bottle Drive – May 30^th

As mentioned, Conveners at each level will be in touch shortly. They are volunteers that make it possible for our kids to play ball and they will be looking for help in very short order to make this season a successful one. If you are interested in helping out, believe me, no volunteer role is too small, please let your convener (or myself) know.

See you all around the fields,

Kanata Little League will be holding a garage sale of surplus and used equipment on Saturday, April 18 from 10am to noon at the KLLBA equipment room.  The equipment room is located in the lower level of the KRC.

Used items include bats, catcher's masks, shinpads, etc. There will also be a limited supply of new batting helmets and baseball pants available for sale.

If you have any old equipment (bats, gloves, etc.) that you would like to donate to the sale, please drop it off at the equipment room on Friday evening between 7 and 8:30pm.

All items remaining after the sale will be donated to baseball programs in the Dominican Republic.

Kanata Little League will be holding a Level 1 Umpire Clinic on Sunday, April 5 from 8:30am to 4:00pm to prepare our young umpires for the upcoming baseball season.

The clinic will be held at the Kanata Recreational Complex (KRC) located at 100 Walter Baker Place.

All umpires attending the clinic are reminded to bring a notepad and pen and to wear your running shoes/sneakers. Pizza and pop lunch will be provided.

Anyone interested in attending the clinic and becoming an umpire this year should contact our Umpire-In-Chief Ricky Norris to reserve a spot if they have not done so already.

Kanata Little League will be running a Winter Skills Program for players who are registered in our 2009 Spring Baseball Program.

Sessions will be held every Sunday from March 22 through May 3 at the Thunderbird Sports Centre. The Thunderbird is located at 1927 Richardson Side Road, Kanata.

This seven week training program is available to all players aged 9 and older at a cost of $95. Space is limited however and will be offered on a first come - first served basis. 

To register for the Winter Skills Program, please attend one of our Spring Baseball Program registration sessions.

Player registration for the 2009 Spring Baseball Program is now under way.

Please visit our Registration page for more details.

The Kanata Little League Baseball Association (KLLBA) is seeking persons interested in coaching for the 2009 summer competitive baseball season.

A and B level positions are available at the following age groups:

7-8, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16, 17-19

Please e-mail your letter of interest indicating your level and age group of interest and your coaching experience along with references to:

The Annual General Meeting of the members was held on October 21 and the Executive and Board of Directors members for the new year were elected.  Happily, a full Executive is in place and is already hard at work planning the 2009 baseball programs.

However, there are still a number of vacancies on the Board in the officer, committee and convenor positions. These positions are critical to the success of the League. If not filled before the start of the season it will be very difficult, if not impossible, for the League to provide a quality baseball program this year.

Here is your chance to give something back to your League and community. Have a look at the list of vacant positions. If you or someone you know can volunteer a few hours to the League and help to ensure the success of the 2009 baseball program then please contact our President or one of the other Directors.

Little League International will be implementing a number of rule changes for the 2009 season. Rules on pitchers moving to the catcher position in the same day, rest requirements for pitchers and baseball bat eligibility have been changed.

For the complete text of the new rules, check out the 2009 Rule and Regulation Changes page at Little League International.

For players in the Junior, Senior and Big League divisions, it is important to note that starting in 2009 the 2 3/4 inch diameter bat will no longer be allowed in these divisions.