MINDEMOYA—Organizers are planning to host the third annual Mindemoya youth softball tournament this June.
In a recent announcement on Facebook, organizer Greg Lockeyer stated that, “the volunteer organizing committee is excited to announce we plan to host our great youth softball tournament in Mindemoya again this June. With all the negativity around us lately, let us provide a positive opportunity for the youth of Manitoulin.”
“If everything settles down in terms of the pandemic, yes, we are planning to host the tournament. Hopefully by that time everything will return to normal, and this event is held outside, which helps,” Mr. Lockeyer told The Expositor. “Even if there are limits in gathering numbers, we are looking at ways we can host the tournament while doing it the right way and safely.”
The tournament is scheduled to take place June 24-26. “We just put the post online last night that we are looking to put on the tournament, we haven’t even put out a registration package yet, and we don’t know what the feedback will be.”
Mr. Lockeyer pointed out, however, “we have a new group from Espanola that has been asking about information on the tournament for seven or eight-year-olds.”
In 2018, the tournament drew a total of 18 teams and 220 kids participating up to the age of 15; in 2019 27 teams and 310 kids up to the age of 16 took part. In 2020, tournament organizers were anticipating a maximum of 32 teams and 350 participating players before the pandemic forced the organizers to postpone the event.
“This year we will be adding two more years groups, up to age 18 and under,” Mr. Lockeyer told The Expositor. With the Pearson Cup held the following weekend, “basically ‘kids’ from the age of 4-74, will be able to play in tournaments being held two weeks in a row.”
“I think the response to the tournament will be positive,” said Mr. Lockeyer. He pointed out every participating player comes to the tournament with a parent(s) or grandparent(s), so with participants and their family members, it can attract about 700 people to the community for the weekend.
“We’re excited that it looks like we can hold the tournament again this year. It’s a full weekend of games, (five inning games and three pitch rules),” said Mr. Lockeyer. “The tournament was such a huge success before, with a large turnout of teams. We are hoping it will be similar this year.” He added more information on the tournament will be released in the weeks leading up to the tournament.
