I can think of few locations more enjoyable to watch a sport than Bluewater Park in Wiarton.
Last Saturday I did the p.a. for the O.A.S.A Midget Championship Tournament hosted by the Red Devils, and while the ball was competitive and interesting, the view was spectacular.
Perched atop the shed behind home plate, the games unfolded in front of me, but if I looked beyond centerfield, there was gorgeous Colpoy’s Bay, active with swimmers, sailors, jet skiers and power boaters.
Along the shoreline were campers and picnics, splash padders, tennis players and the town pool.
The day & tournament were very well organized, the opening ceremonies were significant to the community and, personally, I don’t imagine I’ll have a better setting to work in for quite some time.
The lone blemish on the day was a disappointing performance by the Red Devils.
The Wiarton Midgets were the # 1 seed after winning the Elimination Tournament earlier this year, but on Saturday, they stumbled out of the gate and never recovered, which was unfortunate as any local tournament organizer will tell you.
But that too is sports, and the beauty for the Red Devils is they get a shot at redemption and truthfully, a bigger prize next month as they head to Fredericton, New Brunswick for the Canadian Midget Fastball Championship.
The sightlines at the ballpark in New Brunswick likely won’t be as good as Bluewater Park, but we’re certainly hoping the results for the Red Devils are better.
I’m Fred Wallace