The 2009 Canadian Junior Men's Fastball Championship Tournament will be hosted in the city of Owen Sound.
Softball Canada awarded the National Junior Men's Championship to the Owen Sound Brick Brothers Volkswagen Junior Selects for a second consecutive year.
In 2008, only months after they were formed, the Selects hosted the Canadian Junior Men's Championship and finished third overall behind Scarborough & Elmira who won the Gold & Silver medals.
Selects President Bill Simpson is elated at the news.
While there was no other bid on the table, Simpson knew that the bid from Owen Sound was solid and with a couple of modifications he knows the Selects organization can do a better job of hosting in 2009.
Simpson states the hosting responsibilities help the Owen Sound club both on the field & off.
In terms of the players, getting the hosting bid is almost a bonus for the Owen Sound club who believe they have a squad capable of playing in the Nationals regardless of where they are hosted.
Furthermore, hosting a National Championship can sometimes be used as a recruiting tool when trying to attract elite players.
Off the field, Simpson says hosting the tournament is a solid move economically.
While the goal is to show a profit when hosting an event of this magnitude, Simpson states playing at home rather than travelling abroad for a week-long National Championship could represent a significant 5 digit saving.
The Canadian Junior Men's Fastball Championship will be hosted August 2nd to the 9th at Duncan McLellan Park in Owen Sound
Fred Wallace
fredww5@hotmail.com
