May 12, 2009.

My Canada Games story starts in 1969, when I was a young lad, 8 years old and living in the small southern NB town of St. Stephen, where I shared the passion for baseball. That summer my parents decided to take our family to Halifax to see the "Canada Games". Going to the big city of Halifax as a family was a really big deal, not to mention an opportunity to see some big time "athletic competition”.

Kevin is pictured at the far right of the front row, in this 1981 team photo of the Junior Sabres.  The Junior Sabres were the New Brunswick Junior Champions and Silver medalists at Canada Games.

I still have memories of sitting at the stands at various venues; St. Mary's Huskies Stadium and Lake Banook come to mind vaguely but what really stuck in my mind was that all of these athletes looked really big and were in excellent shape plus the opportunity to compete on such a big stage. The crowds, the excitement, the medals, the uniforms... I still get goose bumps when I hear the Canada Games theme song from that era.

My dream came true in 1980 as I was officially made a member of the NB Baseball Canada Games Team, with the core of the team being from my hometown of St. Stephen. I have to admit for most of us, making the team was the thrill, as actual success on the field wasn't thought as a realistic goal; NB was ranked last in baseball going into the 1981 Games and with opening round games against Ontario and Quebec - well let's just say winning a couple of games would have been considered a huge victory.

Needless to say, our first game, and our only loss, was against powerful Ontario.  One by one we piled up victories in the round robin finishing 2nd in our pool.  The final win was an exciting come-from-behind win against Quebec, 3-2, to make the medal round - yes folks the medal round - and I got an interview on CBC National Radio.

The baseball gods were with our squad as we came from behind to shock the West Coast boys of BC, a baseball team that hadn't lost a game in CG history and featured players who were awaiting professional contracts and pitchers with 90+ mph fastballs.  My personal thrill was knocking in the winning run against some giant of a pitcher that threw so hard, I was actually scared at the plate for the first time in my life as I could hear the "whiz" of the ball.

Unfortunately, the clock struck midnight and our Cinderella ride was over as Ontario spanked us in the final, however, we relished the time of playing in front of a sold out stadium of over 6000 folks who waited in line to come see if this rag tag bunch from NB could slay the mighty Goliath from Ontario.

I will never forget the closing ceremonies, marching in with my teammates, proudly wearing our hard earned silver medal; laughing and cajoling with other athletes from  other sports; many of them going on to world class amateur or even professional careers.  And I was proudly part of the CG fraternity... a medal winner, to boot.

A few years later I hung up my cleats and have continued as a coach and association executive and even served a term as VP of Baseball NS when I moved to Halifax; another irony. I am sure many of my players have grown sick and tired of my inspirational speech that highlights the reality that anyone can succeed if they are willing to make the commitment.

Now 30 years later just the thought of the Canada Games still brings out the emotions. The flashback to Thunder Bay, the pride, the hard work, the determination, the teamwork, the spectacle, the sense of accomplishment - it still remains one of the highlights of my lifetime.

My story, hopefully, is an inspiration to all those young folks that come from small towns all over this great country; that may not be the biggest, the fastest, the strongest, the most talented (I even wore glasses), but if you set your mind to it you can succeed and aspire to anything.  After all, my dream came true.

The Canada Games is uniquely Canadian and a treasure to be proud of; not just as a breeding ground for future Olympians or another competition for top ranked athletes to collect more accolades but a place for young athletes from all over this great land to come together.  Yes to compete and hopefully win, but most importantly to enjoy the sense of community; the pride of being Canadian. I encourage athletes, parents and all Canadians to find some way to share in the Canada Games experience. I can assure you it will be a thrill of a lifetime.

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