New baseball field considered for Sinclair Yards

It could be a new ball field or an upgraded existing diamond, but Soo Minor Baseball Association and city officials are working together in hopes of building a Challenger Baseball field at Sinclair Yards.

Challenger Baseball is a non-competitive sport played by athletes with a physical disability, intellectual disability, cognitive delay or a developmental disability. 

Players as young as four years of age are accepted.

Sinclair Yards is owned by the City of Sault Ste. Marie and maintained by Soo Minor Baseball Association (SMBA), a not-for-profit organization, under a licence of occupation with the city.

Last September, city council agreed with a suggestion from Ward 3 Coun. Angela Caputo and Ward 1's Sonny Spina to consider accessibility upgrades at Sinclair Yards with an eye to hosting Challenger Baseball tournaments.

"Subject to funding, Soo Minor Baseball is hoping to provide greater accessibility at Sinclair Yards," says SMBA president Mike Lebel.

Pat Henderson, a SMBA vice president who chairs the organization's accessibility committee, has held five meetings with city staff about updating Sinclair.

Are they thinking about adding a new ball diamond?

"Whether we convert one of our current diamonds into something with Astroturf or whether we build a new diamond – that's still up for up for discussion," Henderson says.

Brent Lamming, the city's director of community services, says an agreement has been reached to take a staged approach to the upgrades, with the following priorities:

• paving of barrier-free parking spaces
• asphalt paths to provide access to fields
• building upgrades enhancing the current washroom facilities to make them barrier-free
• creating a Challenger Baseball field

In a report presented to city council last week, Lamming estimated the cost of the first three items at $98,000.

He recommended starting by having SMBA apply to the city's tourism development fund for seed money.

With that cash in hand, SMBA could then seek additional funding from the following sources:

• NOHFC (Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp.)
• Fednor
• Enabling accessibility grant
• Inclusive community grant
• Ontario Trillium Foundation

"A separate application will also be made for the third phase of the project for a Challenger Baseball field through the Jays Care Foundation," Lamming said.

"Challenger Baseball ensures every athlete has the opportunity to play in a fun and safe environment where they learn to become more independent, build confidence, improve their communication skills, and set and achieve their own personal goals," Lamming says.

"Staff support the staged approach and will continue to meet and work with SMBA with the aim of achieving the plan."