The Conrad Jean Special Olympics Slo-Pitch Tournament hit the ball fields this weekend, bringing together teams from across Alberta and Saskatchewan in the spirit of sportsmanship.
The tournament featured teams from St. Paul, St. Albert, Edmonton, Calgary, Camrose, Red Deer and Regina across four divisions. While the tournament kicked off in rain and wind on Saturday, the show went on without a hiccup.
“The weather was not the greatest (on Saturday) and everybody still maintained smiles on their faces and everybody seemed to have a really good time. I had a lot of fun myself,” said St. Paul Special Olympics chair Nikki Gossman.
Things brightened up on Sunday, however, as participants were graced with a perfect day for baseball to finish off the tournament.
“I had a blast,” said L.J. Buryn, a member of the St. Paul blue division team, with 20 years of experience at the tournament. “Everybody did just excellent . . . (Jean) did an extraordinary job.”
Every player from every team was awarded with a ribbon for their participation in the tournament, while the winning team from each division received a trophy.
In the yellow division, Edmonton earned top spot followed by St. Paul, St. Albert and Regina. In the green division, St. Albert earned first place followed closely by Regina and Calgary. The Regina team won the blue division, while Edmonton took second, Camrose took third and St. Paul finished fourth.
The sole team from Red Deer took top spot in the red division over Calgary, but coach Michael Dartnell says winning has nothing to do with why they all travel to St. Paul for this tournament every year.
“It’s all about the camaraderie. The guys get to go on a road trip. Some of the players don’t get to leave Red Deer very often so it’s an opportunity for them to come out,” said Dartnell, who mentioned that the team marks this tournament on their calendar.
“Winning the red division is irrelevant. It’s just all about having fun and playing ball.”
The St. Paul Special Olympics committee named Red Deer’s Harpe Coutre as the most valuable player at the tournament.
The annual RCMP Sportsmanship Award was presented to the three teams that traveled from Regina for their exemplification of fair play and respect on the fields. Jean says that the Sportsmanship Award is the most important trophy at the tournament.
The event also featured a banquet and dance for athletes and volunteers on Saturday night. Dartnell says that the dance is the highlight of the weekend for the majority of those who come out for the tournament.
“It’s top notch. It’s one of the big reasons they come. It’s very social, they get to meet their friends that they haven’t seen in a long time,” Dartnell said. “They always stay until the very end of the dance.”
Prior to the dance, Jean presented the annual Shaun Brosseau Awards, which are bestowed upon members of the community who have gone above and beyond to provide assistance for the tournament. This year, the Shaun Brosseau Awards were presented to friends and family members of Dale Goddard, Robbie Porozni and Alcide Jean, three members of St. Paul Special Olympics that died earlier this year.
Lucy Jean accepted the award on behalf of her husband Alcide and Donna Goddard received the award on behalf of her husband Dale. Porozni’s father was unable to attend the event, so Jean’s wife Laurel, Porozni’s support worker for the last five years, accepted the award on his behalf.
