Written By Olena Riznyk
MELBOURNE – Ten teams took part in an international softball tournament at the Bear Creek Sports and Entertainment facility on June 13 and 14, bringing several teams ranked among the world’s best to the area.
For Paul “Chico” McCart, general manager of the Bear Creek teams, the event highlighted how much both the organization and the facility have grown in recent years. “Out of the top seven ranked teams in the world, several are here,” McCart said. “It’s a pretty big event.”
McCart said Bear Creek’s organization includes three teams that entered the season ranked second, third and fifth in the world.
The organization also includes players from 11 different countries. “We have players from 11 different countries playing for our teams,” he said. “It’s pretty amazing.”
The tournament attracted players, families and spectators from across the province. McCart, who said he has attended about 30 world tournaments over the years, said he had been encouraged by the response to the event. “The feedback this weekend has been wonderful,” he said.
One of the things that stood out to him was the number of visitors seeing the facility for the first time. “People are coming from all over Ontario,” McCart said. “They tell us how beautiful this place is.”
The tournament was held at a facility that has expanded significantly over the past year.
Organizers have added two ball diamonds, a pavilion, kitchen facilities, meeting space, washrooms and accessible pathways throughout the property.
Charlie Pierce, who helps oversee the facility, said organizers hope the site will become a venue for much more than softball. “We’re aiming to have this as a regular event space, not just for softball itself, but for any sort of event,” Pierce said.
Pierce said local residents have responded positively to the growth of the facility and the return of major softball events to the area. “Everyone’s very excited,” he said. “They’re happy to see softball kind of get rejuvenated in the area again.”
Sherry Monastyrski, one of the tournament organizers, said work on the facility continues as organizers look ahead to future events. “This is only the second year,” she said. “We’ve added the facilities, the kitchen, the washrooms and the gathering spaces. There’s still work to do, but we’re excited about where it’s going.”
While the June tournament brought high-level competition to Melbourne, organizers say it is only one of several major events planned for the facility this year. The site already has six tournaments scheduled this summer, including the International Softball Congress World Tournament in August.
