As spring weather approaches, the Muskoka Hornets U12 AAA Baseball Team is getting excited not just for their regular season but also for the team’s first-ever international tournament.
The team has been fundraising since September last year to raise enough money to go to Cooperstown, New York from June 4 to 10. The city is home to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and hosts youth baseball tournaments throughout the summer. Since their team has reached the eligible age for the 12U tournament, the coaches and parents decided it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that they had to take. They reached out to businesses from all over Muskoka for support and ended up reaching their goal of $23,000 earlier this year.
“Without the sponsorships of the businesses on the banner and local businesses helping out, it would be a costly venture, to say the least,” said Head Coach David Gemmell. “For, I’d say, 75 per cent of our team, they’ve probably never been outside Ontario nevermind outside the country, so who knows, they might never get to travel again [to] do something like this.”
The team also held fundraising barbeques and silent auctions at the end of last season, but most of their funding came from banner sponsors in Burk’s Falls, Huntsville, Bracebridge, Gravenhurst, Haliburton and so on. The team will hang the banner at all home and away games as well as at the tournament.
The coaches, players and their families want to thank their sponsors from the bottom of their hearts, Gemmell said. To show their appreciation, the team will be promoting their sponsors through the banner, word of mouth and social media. They also plan to invite their sponsors to games so that the players have a chance to say thank you in person.
“They were ecstatic,” Gemmell said. “A lot of them, this is going to be probably the highlight of their baseball career.”
Though they’ve been lucky enough to play a modified schedule throughout COVID restrictions, travelling to tournaments is long overdue for these players, Gemmell said. The team has been practicing and training indoors three days each week since January, so they’re looking forward to moving outdoors, hopefully just after Easter.
The regular season starts in May, which will help them prepare for tournament play. While Gemmell feels they have one of Ontario’s top teams in their age group, the tournament will be a new experience in multiple ways.
“We’re playing against kids that can be a little bit older because they have different age groupings, so that will be a little bit of a challenge,” Gemmell said. “But I think the main goal is to go and have fun, and as much as you’re going for wins losses, it’s more of a life experience.”
First baseman Stewart Thomas, third baseman Nathan Coombs and pitcher Wyatt Gemmell all agree that their fellow players and coaches are the best part of playing with the Muskoka Hornets. Thomas said he’s looking forward to the skills competition in Cooperstown, but simply getting the chance to be at the tournament means a lot to him.
“It feels really good, especially because we’re not sure yet, but we’re pretty sure we’re going to be the only Canadian team there,” Thomas said. “It’s just going to be super fun with my teammates.”
For Coombs, this will also be his first visit to the United States. “I am so excited, nervous, scared, happy and can’t believe my team is going to New York for the tournament,” he said.
The teams at the tournament will be trading pins, so he said he can’t wait to see how many pins they end up with, but more than anything, he’s looking forward to going on such a big trip with his teammates.
“I have been part of the Muskoka Hornets for five years on the travel team,” Coombs said. “My baseball friends are the best part. Most of us have been together since 9U.”
He knows they’ll be facing some great teams, many of whom get the chance to practice outside all year long. Still, despite the competition, Coombs feels the Hornets will do Muskoka, and all of Canada, proud.
“I think we have a pretty good chance,” Coombs said. “We have a couple of really good hitters, a couple fast people, and I think we can win it.”
