A swing and a hit – how minor baseball is a home run in Cochrane

When choosing a new community for your family, consider the whole lifestyle that comes with that new area.  If you have children who love baseball, softball, t-ball or slow pitch, organized ball in the Town of Cochrane covers the bases.

In the past three seasons, there have been more than 200 kids playing in minor leagues in Cochrane, something organizers attribute to the popularity of the Toronto Blue Jays across the country.  But it’s far more than the Canadian “Blue Jays Bump” says the head of Cochrane’s Minor Ball Association, Paul Vaillancourt.

In an interview with a Cochrane weekly, he said that in 2015 there were 284 kids registered for minor ball, which spiked to 403 kids in 2016 and this year, registration has jumped another 18% to 476. Registration had to be capped this year to accommodate all who had registered by the deadline.

The reason why he has given some credit to the renewed interest to Toronto’s MLB team is because registration is up across Canada.

Next to that, Vaillancourt says baseball is providing more academic opportunities for kids that hockey is.  He says there are more chances to earn scholarships by playing baseball, or football for that matter, than playing hockey in Canada and in the U.S.  He says more parents are becoming away of this and are changing strategies.

Other reasons for the gain in popularity in Cochrane is because it’s a great sport and the “addictive nature” of the game itself.

Baseball is a thinking game and strategies can play out mentally which adds a new dimension to the sport.

The affordability of baseball is another factor, something that has also prompted parents to put their children in soccer as an alternative to the more expensive sport of hockey.  Despite being “Canada’s game”, hockey registrations have ballooned and can be as high as $2,000 or more at the AA and AAA level.

Because of the 23% and 18% rise in registrations in the last three seasons, there is new pressure for Cochrane’s ball facilities.  There are a lot of baseball diamonds throughout Cochrane but some lack essential equipment to handle organized ball.  Vaillancourt says that Cochrane Minor Baseball is working with the Town of Cochrane to enhance these diamonds by:

• Improving or building fences
• Upgrading and building dug outs
• Providing appropriate base anchors
• Measuring and ensuring there is approved distance between pitching plates

Minor baseball and softball in Cochrane offers a variety of levels and options for young players, boys and girls, from t-ball where kids learn the game and begin their development, to coach pitch and up to traveling teams such as to Cochrane Crush.

He notes that there are 7 teams that travel with 12 players each; a national team, a major team, three teams at the intermediate level plus a junior team and a senior team.

He noted that one of the associations goals is to collaborate with the Town of Cochrane to build a quad diamond.  With a huge facility like that, Cochrane can host tournaments and would send a signal to families and players that minor ball in the town is a thriving and serious enterprise.

Cochrane Minor Baseball also looks after the certification of umpires and runs a summer league.  Registration for summer ball opened at the beginning of May at a cost of $150 a player.  The association determines where players can join teams based on where they attend school in Cochrane.  Parents are requested to provide official school documentation, such as an enrollment form or a report card.

Parents interested in summer baseball in Cochrane or in learning more about Cochrane Minor Baseball can visit their website.