Mounties Coaches Not Returning to Van. Community in 2013
Posted November 13, 2012
Mounties' success has come from total commitment by coaches and players playing up to 75 games a year. This included games against Washington 15U teams increasing their exposure to top notch competiton. With expected limited numbers in 2013 the Mounties would likely have to cut their schedule to mainly league games limiting the opportunities to hone their skills against older players. It would also have reduced the ever important team bonding that is invaluable over a long season.
The Mounties lost two of their returning players who live in East Vancouver when Vancouver Minor Baseball indicated they'll be entering a Bantam AAA team in 2013. They had hoped that B.C. Minor would invoke a grandfather clause giving these boys an option to finish out the Bantam Division with Vancouver Communtiy, but were informed by a B.C. Minor Director that there was no possibility of that.
Also there is a motion being brought forward at the November 17, 2012 B.C. Minor AGM limiting the number of import players to Associations with higher Bantam numbers. If this proposal passes, VCB will not be allowed to have any imports playing Bantam AAA leaving another 3 boys who played Bantam AA and AAA at VCB last year stranded and looking for a new place to play baseball. Add the fact that only 8 players from VCB's catchment area signed up for Fall Ball this past season, a significant drop off from the past 4 years, concerns started to creep in wondering if VCB would have the player numbers and commitment to continue to run this program as in the past.
The Vancouver Mounties and VCB have had great success over the past 5 years. In that time period the Mounties have a record of 165 - 25 - 1 for a .870 win percentage in Bantam AAA League play and the Mounties have won 2 League Championships (2009 & 2011)
In B.C. Provincial play the Mounties have a 22 - 7 record for a .759 win percentage The Mounties have won 2 Provincial Championships (2010 & 2012), 2 Provincial Silver Medals (2008 & 2011), 2 Western Canadian Silver Medals (2008 & 2011), 1 National Silver Medal (2012), and a National 4th place finish in (2010).
As
a group of coaches it gives us great pain to leave a program that we've
been involved with for so long and helped build. It has not been an
easy decision but at the end of the day when a team loses 2 returning
players combined with a strong possibility it will lose 1 more and 2
developing players will not have the opportunity to tryout and factoring
in the extremely low fall ball numbers it leaves us with much concern
that we would still be able to run a viable program to the same
standards as in the past. These events are extremely disappointing but
not within our control as the higher ups make the decisions and we just
coach.
We would like to express our thanks to Vancouver Community
Baseball for giving us the opportnity to coach youth sports. We would
especially like to thank VCB President Bill Robinson for his help and
support over the last 5 years.
Vancouver Weather
78.98°F71.22°F