Lack of volunteers impacting Soo Pee Wee, minor baseball seasons

A pair of sports organizations in Sault Ste. Marie are sounding the alarm over a shortage of volunteers that is threatening to postpone their upcoming seasons.

Families with kids enrolled in the Soo Pee Wee Hockey League received an email earlier this month that detailed a dire need for executive volunteers that could push back the start of next season.

Meanwhile, the Soo Minor Baseball Association announced on Facebook last week that evaluations for most of its divisions have been postponed "due to the number of unfilled coaching and convener positions."

The post ends with the hashtag #weneedcoaches.

In his email to families, SPWHL executive Peter Bennetto said of the hockey league's ten executive positions, eight will need to be elected or appointed at the next annual general meeting on May 7 — more than any other year.

“The league has been running with many of the same executive volunteers for the last eight years,” Bennetto wrote to parents and members. “The volunteers for next year must be installed in May in order to open registration in June. The June kickoff is key so there is sufficient time to arrange sponsors and put in the jersey orders in early July.”

Bennetto warned if those dates are missed, then the start to the 2024-25 hockey season will be postponed and children will be unable to register.

The YNCU Soo Pee Wee Arena, one of just a handful of volunteer-built arenas in Canada, is celebrating 57 years this fall and boasts a storied history in the Sault.

It hosts 1,000 members, in addition to men’s and women’s recreational hockey, figure skating, power skating, adult and youth hockey tournaments and the annual Campbell Amusements spring midway.

Positions that need to be filled for next season include:

• 1st Vice President (Operations, two-year term, elected)
• 2nd Vice President (Support – House League, two-year term, elected)
• Equipment Management (one-year term, elected)       
• Tournament Management (one-year term, elected)
• Player Management (one-year term, elected)
• 3rd Vice President (Support – Rep, two-year term, appointed)
• Technical Services (two-year term, appointed)
• Coaching Management (one-year term, appointed)
• Criminal Records (one-year term, appointed)

A new league president will also be appointed as current president Nicole Clouthier has served the maximum term length of eight consecutive years, according to the SPWHL website.

Executive meetings typically run between two and three hours during one weeknight every month. There is a time obligation for each role throughout the season that averages a few hours per week, said Bennetto.

“The benefits of volunteering can be enormous,” he wrote. “You can make a difference in your community, meet new friends, increase your sense of purpose, and build experience for your career.”

The SPWHL’s annual general meeting takes place on Tuesday, May 7 at 7 p.m. in the Steelton room inside the Northern Community Centre. Nomination forms can be filled out by clicking here.

Two weeks ago, the Soo Minor Baseball Association took to social media asking members to consider coaching or convening for the upcoming season.

“If we don’t get all the coaches and convenors in place by April 22, 2024, evaluations will need to be postponed,” their Facebook post read.

The SMBA is a non-profit organization that runs the 27-acre baseball complex at Sinclair Yards.

Soo Minor Baseball offers recreational and competitive baseball games on seven fields in Junior T-Ball, T-Ball, Junior 9U, 9U, 11U, 13U, 16U, 18U and Open 18+ throughout the summer.

The league followed up on their original call-out to announce that only the Junior 9U evaluations would proceed as scheduled.

“Due to the number of unfilled coaching and convener positions, 9U, 11U, 13U and 16U evaluations will be postponed to the week of May 6-10, 2024, on the basis that we have all coaches and conveners in place,” the post read.

Upwards of 17 coaches and three convenors were needed for the season as of a week ago, according to the league's website. 

Residents interesting in filling these positions can contact Pat Henderson at [email protected].

SooToday reached out to the Soo Pee Wee Hockey League and Soo Minor Baseball Association for comment, but neither organization responded in time for publication.