Eskasoni Extreme vs. Waycobah in men's championship game. Photo by RadioGoogoo.ca
Indian Brook First Nation’s 31st Annual Labour Day Fastball Tournament wrapped up on Monday evening with the Eskasoni Extreme defeating Waycobah with a score of 14-2 for first place in the men’s division.
In the women’s division, two teams from the host community squared off in the championship game. Indian Brook’s Bobbie’s Girls beat Truckhouse with a final score of 15-12.
A total of eleven teams in both divisions travelled from communities such as Eskasoni, Waycobah, Pictou Landing and Millbrook to participate in the weekend tournament. Top prize was $2,000 in the men’s division and $1,000 in the women’s division. All teams paid an entry fee of $400 in order to compete in the fastball tournament.
The all-star lineup for the men’s division included:
- Most Valuable Player: Eldon Gould, Eskasoni Extreme
- Most Sportsman-like Player: Robert Bernard, Waycobah
- Pitcher: Ritchie Denny, Eskasoni Extreme
- Catcher: Morris Bernard, Waycobah
- 1st Base: Bertrand Gould, Eskasoni Extreme
- 2nd Base: Levi R. Denny, Jr., Eskasoni Extreme
- 3rd Base: Corey Googoo, Waycobah
- Short Stop: Brian Gould, Eskasoni Extreme
- Outfield: Stafford Phillip, Waycobah
- Outfield: Derek Nevin, Indian Brook Blazers
- Outfield: J.P. Doucette, Eskasoni Extreme
In the women’s division, the all-star lineup included:
- Most Valuable Player: Lena Knockwood, Truckhouse
- Most Sportsman-like Player: Hanna Prosper, Bobbie’s Girls
- Pitcher: Jennifer Maloney, Bobbie’s Girls
- Catcher: Vanessa Googoo, Truckhouse
- 1st Base: Denise Levi, Bobbie’s Girls
- 2nd Base: Velvet Paul, Truckhouse
- 3rd Base: Nadine Howe, Bobbie’s Girls
- Short Stop: Sharon Paul, Bobbie’s Girls
- Outfield: Katie Paul, Truckhouse
- Outfield: Ashley Julian, Bobbie’s Girls
- Outfield: Virginia Peter-Paul, Bobbie’s Girls
Tina Nevin, one of the organizers for the annual tournament, said she was pleased with the turnout of players and spectators during the holiday weekend event.
“Oh yeah, we’re pleased with it,” Nevin said on Monday. “Actually, we’re just grateful that there was nice weather. The atmosphere was pretty good,” she said. “They came here to play ball and they played. Overall, it was a good tournament.”
Comedian Don Burnstick puts on his own show during Indian Brook's annual Labour Day Fastball tournament. Photo by RadioGoogoo.ca
Nevin said it took the 13-member organizing committee approximately a month to put together the annual event. More than 100 ball players participated in the tournament.
Comedian Don Burnstick from Winnipeg, Man. performed at the community’s school, L’nu Sipuk Kina Matuokuom, on Sunday evening as part of the weekend festivities. More than 200 people filled the school’s gymnasium to watch the Cree comedian’s hour-long show.
The Indian Brook Annual Labour Day Fastball Tournament, which began in the late 1970s, did not take place for several years due to a lack of volunteers to organize and fund-raise for the event. However, the tournament was brought back in 2007 when several members of the community decided to revive the annual event.
“We’re a lot of doers here,” Nevin said of the current organizing committee for the fastball tournament. “We just don’t say it, we do it,” she said.
Nevin said the committee decided to use the profits made from last year’s tournament to purchase a new speaker system so that an announcer could provide live updates for on-going ball game taking place at the first ball field.
For next year’s tournament, Nevin said the committee is looking into offering coaching clinics for anyone in the community who wants to be a certified coach. She said they also want to integrate little league back into the annual tournament.
“We’re going to start with the kids more and get them on the fields because Native (baseball) is dying out,” Nevin said.
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