AUNDECK OMNI KANING—When the boys of summer, three-pitch youth division, step out onto the baseball diamond in Aundeck Omni Kaning, it is often under the careful and watchful eye of Geoff Corbiere.
Three-pitch baseball, he explains to The Expositor, is a form of baseball in which the teams pitch to their own players. “You only get to throw three pitches, then you are out if you don’t get a hit,” he said.
While he works with children of all ages, Mr. Corbiere’s charges in the three-pitch realm are usually from 12 to 16 years old. “It can be a pretty wide range,” he said.
As to how he became involved in volunteering with youth sport, the answer will be familiar to any parent. “My kids asked me,” he laughs. That was four years ago. As to what keeps him going, Mr. Corbiere doesn’t hesitate. “It’s a lot of fun,” he said.
It is also wonderful to see youth start out with a lack of confidence but over the course of a summer season develop confidence in their own ability. “They might start out saying ‘I can’t do this’ and they may have never held a ball before, but then they discover they can do it and that builds confidence,” said Mr. Corbiere—a confidence that will help them to achieve results in life, long after they have left the field.
Mr. Corbiere also noted that there is a huge need for volunteers in every area of sports. “Volunteers are very much needed,” he said. Especially now, as his own work commitments are limiting the number of tournaments that he can attend and assist with.
Tournaments take place in Mindemoya, Espanola and many other communities over the summer ball season, he notes.
Mr. Corbiere said that he was extremely fortunate in that he has a co-organizer for the sport, Vanessa Atchinson. “She has really taken on the lead,” he said.
One of the most rewarding parts of volunteering for Mr. Corbiere is the joy it brings to the children, especially in an end-of-season tradition where the children play against their parents. “They really like playing against their parents and siblings,” he said.
In the end, it is for the love of the game and the children.
