The Ontario Amateur Softball Association Peewee Elimination Tournament was staged last weekend at Duncan McLellan Park in Owen Sound.
I had certain expectations for the event, and to be truthful, the level of competition far exceeded what I envisioned..
Was it perfect ?
No, far from it, but I almost expected imperfection based on the age group of the competitors.
We’re talking about boys and girls under the age of 14, dealing with multiple alterations both within themselves and in the world around them.
But it’s fair to say I vastly underestimated what was exhibited.
There were good games, some really good plays, put-outs at the plate and a host of exceptional players.
What really stood out was the lack of power.
By that I mean no pitcher dominated in the circle, no batter could clear the fences, and thus, as a result, the players had to play ball and work for every run or to prevent every run they could.
I loved it.
In the end, the Kitchener-Waterloo Kolts took the 2014 title, but the field of 19 teams made a great endorsement for the value of pre-teen team sports.
I’m Fred Wallace