As I walk down Front Street young, smiling faces look up at me. They tell me something about their day or share something on their mind. Sometimes it’s just an excited acknowledgement that when they see me, they think about baseball, and when they think about baseball, it makes them smile. These moments are what it’s all about.
Six years ago my son Ben started to show interest in playing baseball. At that time, the local ball field was in disrepair, there was no local youth team, and the only time I could see ball played was during the annual May Days Tournament. Kaslo had always been a ball town. I often heard about the glory days when the whole community rallied around their teams. When Vimy Park Field was bustling with families and fans out to enjoy a game. I could see the bones of a dream built on the hard work and volunteered time of generations of community members. It was all there, it just needed some love.
I spoke with a friend of mine Bo Bennett. He was a fellow New Yorker, a Yankees fan like myself, and he had coached ball in Kaslo for many generations. He encouraged me to start something up. Bo put me in touch with Cam Zuk who had coached the most recent youth team in Kaslo. Cam provided me with a key to a shed with some old gear, and access to some funds leftover in an account at the local credit union. He then offered me some old shirts they had used. They said ‘Kaslo Cubs’. So it was. I made up some simple registration sheets, printed them up and brought them to the local school to be distributed to students. I posted some on community boards throughout the village. I wasn’t sure what the response would be. That first year we fielded an 11 player T-ball team. Ben could play ball.
These kids were wide eyed and excited about playing baseball. All I wanted that first year was for the kids to have fun and enjoy learning. If they walked away with a love of the game, mission complete. The core of that original team still plays today.
In the past five years (with one season missed due to COVID) we have grown from one T- ball team with 11 players to just over 40 players distributed between three teams: T-ball, Rookies, and Majors. We have grown from one team, into an organization. Community members stepped up and volunteered their time to coach, bringing skills and enthusiasm. They brought their passion for the game, their love for the sport, and their desire to work with youth players to share this beautiful game we grew up loving. It’s a chance to give back.
A few years into coaching I was approached by Jo Davie. Jo is a well known and beloved community member who has been synonymous with Kaslo athletics for a long time. His family owns the local building supply store, and are active and engaged community members. It was clear from the get go that he, like myself, was used to getting things done. He was reviving an adult slow pitch. Beer League in Kaslo, with great success. We decided that by combining our efforts we could accomplish more, at a quicker pace, and share the load.
A small group of us gathered and founded the Kaslo Baseball and Softball Association. Through the efforts of KBSA and the Village of Kaslo we have rebuilt the field. In conjunction with the village, we brought in baseball shale and put down sod in the infield. We started to level the uneven outfield. We installed in-ground irrigation and fencing throughout the field to protect our investment.
The community embraced ball. Youth and adult ball leagues saw enough demand that the field was booked six days a week from May until October. Teams filled and additional teams were added. Life came back to the field. The sounds of fans cheering, the crack of the bat, and the look of excitement on player’s faces as they came across home plate to score a run. Pure joy. We set aside the concerns of the outside world and our differences, and just played ball. We have gotten to where we are now using a very familiar formula: hard work from a dedicated group of community volunteers and collaboration with the Village and the wider community.
As we look to the future and prepare for the next round of improvements to the ball field and continued growth of the player base, I see so much possibility. I try to remind myself of what my coaches told me when I was a kid. Keep it simple. See the ball, hit the ball, run.
Matthew Brown Kaslo Youth Baseball President Kaslo Baseball & Softball Association Board Member
If you are interested in getting involved in Youth Baseball in Kaslo please reach out to kasloyouthbaseball@gmail.com. You can also visit www.kasloyouthbaseball.com. We are always seeking coaches, volunteers, and players. For information on Kaslo Slo Pitch you can email kasloslopitch@gmail.com or visit www.kasloslopitch.com