By Sam Cortes, Communications Coordinator
Photo by Haley Hayward, Baseball Manitoba
Pre-2019, baseball coaches at La Salle ball diamonds had to sift through a cluttered sea can of pound-in bases, searching for ones they could use without broken straps or missing pegs.
Without permanent bases, this time-consuming process was necessary before every game or practice.
Macdonald Minor Ball Association President and Coach Stephen Ceslak thought it was time to make a change. In the spring of 2020, he led the switch to purchasing and installing permanent bases, so when a coach showed up, they didn’t have to worry about setting up the diamond – it was already done, and they could focus on coaching the kids.
This fix to an inconvenience was the catalyst of what would grow to become a tens of thousands of dollars kind of project, supported by sponsors and donors for a completely renovated baseball and softball facility in La Salle.
Here’s how Stephen catapulted this venture from a few new permanent bases to something that will make a lasting impact in both sport and community in Manitoba.
The Vision
To tackle improving the diamonds, they had to start somewhere. So Stephen, Jeff Johnson, and Kal Paull, who were all on the Macdonald Minor Ball Association board at the time, dug some holes and put anchors in for the permanent bases.
“We worked for a couple days and it took several hours to do by the time you measure everything out and make sure you have everything straight,” said Stephen.
“We finished the job and you couldn’t tell anything was done on the diamond at all – because they’re all in the ground,” Stephen laughed. “It wasn’t very noticeable, but it was a huge change.”
Photos supplied by Stephen Ceslak
Building off the momentum of finishing the anchors, Stephen began imagining what else could be done.
“Being the president of Macdonald Minor Ball, I’m also looking at our registration numbers and how we can grow [those], grow the game, and grow the sport overall to give back to the community and get as many kids involved. Obviously I’m very passionate about the sport and enjoy this, so it doesn’t feel like work. It’s my hobby. My dad, who instilled the passion of the sport into me at a young age, passed away two years ago and this project really helped me get through the tough times by keeping my mind occupied.”
Stephen realized the growth and health of baseball in Manitoba is very much connected to providing access to well-kept diamonds for kids and their families.
But if he was going to coordinate this renovation, it was going to be a major project with tons of factors to consider – fixing field drainage, ripping up infield, installing permanent fencing, construction costs, contractors… and the list goes on.
It was time to get to work.
Getting the Ball Rolling
Stephen said the initial challenge was getting people on board with the idea of fixing up the diamonds and building new ones.
And then there’s the other piece of the puzzle.
“A big challenge, obviously, is the money. The funding. That’s always a struggle because everything is so costly.”
So he started by raising funds through hosting softball tournaments and doing 50/50s.
“It’s a small amount that you make and it’s a lot of effort, but at least it got the ball rolling.”
A Baseball Buzz in La Salle
While Stephen was the one who dreamt up the transformation of the diamonds, he was certainly not alone in making it happen.
“It started to get noticed that stuff was being done, then it was a little easier to get people involved and on board and asking, ‘What can I do to help? If you’re doing stuff and you’re going there let me know, I’ll come out and help you with whatever you need to do.’”
Sometimes, it was a family effort. Stephen and his wife, Shauna, and two kids, Jeter and Kinsley, would carve out time in the summer to go out to the fields and do some maintenance. It was work, but also welcomed quality family time.
Several high school staff who are employed through the Caisse Community Centre were also a huge help with maintenance, including cutting grass and general upkeep, along with the facility manager, Dee Romijn, who has been a huge help along the way with the entire project right from the start.
Stephen also said he couldn’t have done it without Keith Manary, Leigh Dyck, Jason Vrooman, Kurt Cormier, Curtis McGowan, Remi Dereault, Dan Delorme, and Aaron Anderson.
“I work with Aaron Anderson, who also lives in town and enjoys the sport. So at times [I] will bounce ideas off him, ‘Hey what if we did this, what if we did that’. He’d rein ‘em in at times, because some of my ideas were big dreams. Sometimes you need that to get leveled out. But then on the other side of things, he’d throw out some crazy ideas and I’d have to do the same, ‘No we can’t do that, that will be too costly.’ We work well together.”
The Game-Changer
By 2022, all four existing diamonds had gotten some maintenance and upkeep.
One in particular had quite an overhaul.
“There was a diamond there before, it’s not a new build, but it was basically completely gutted and re-structured, with the exception of the outfield grass.”
Chipping away at their fundraising goal to build an entirely new diamond, a thought crept in that maybe they wouldn’t reach their goal.
“I was sort of powering out, and thinking ‘Okay, we’ll just do the [renovation of the] baseball diamond, the new build is probably not going to happen.’ And then along came Jays Care.”
The Jays Care Foundation donated 85 thousand dollars, thanks to Stephen and Dee Romijn’s grant application to the Field of Dreams program in 2021.
“As soon as that came in, I was like ‘OK – now we’re building a new one.’”
This new diamond was a soccer field at the time. They moved out the soccer nets and repositioned them in different parts of the grounds, ripped out the entire infield, brought in new infield mix, and fully fenced the entire diamond.
Photos supplied by Stephen Ceslak
The project was taking on a new life, and some of it had to be hired out.
“We needed a construction company to come in and excavate. We needed a fence company to come in and put the fences up.”
By the spring of 2022, the official announcement was made by Jays Care Foundation they donated 85 thousand dollars to the La Salle project.
“Once the Jays Care announcement was out, then obviously more and more people were aware of it. And then I thought, ‘Well we better take this to the next level if we’re going to finish this entire improvement project.’ So, we started going around to sponsors within the community.”
Sponsor Support
The sponsors of this project are: Jays Care Foundation, Building Sustainable Communities, Marchetti Family Trust, Dufresne Furniture & Appliances, La Salle Insurance, ReadyMeds, Red River Mutual, Tank Traders, Canada Games Legacy Fund, Anseeuw Brothers Ltd, Canterra Seeds, Crown Toyota, GLP Enterprises, Homestead Co-op, Witt Family, Pitura Seeds, Brett Young, Vern Harrison, FWS, and Ritchie Bros Auctioneers.
“We did a lot of fundraising, but the sponsors really helped put it over the top, getting us to our target of $250,000.”
The rest of the work was completed in the fall of 2022, finishing up with a few small touches in the spring of 2023, including new bleachers.
“Now the project is basically completely finished. Just in time for the grand opening.”
Photo supplied by Stephen Ceslak
A Grand Opening
After years of planning, coordination, fundraising, and hard work, the grand opening was a culmination of it all. Held on a sunny day in June, they had over 150 kids, who played in a U5, U7, and U9 baseball jamboree.
The day included a ceremony with a ribbon cutting, speeches, including some by Jays Care representatives, and a first pitch made by Stephen’s kids.
“It was great to see 150 kids running around there having fun, just playing the game and enjoying it.”
The event also had a dunk tank, a skills competition, along with food and drinks.
Photos by Haley Hayward, Baseball Manitoba
“[We’re] starting to hear some feedback now that we’re done the project. You hear some parents talking every once in awhile or other people in the community come to me and say, ‘We just played this team and their players and parents are really impressed with the facility.’”
While the RM of Macdonald is spread out, Stephen said they try to get those from Oak Bluff, Sanford, and Starbuck out to play a few games. And this is only the beginning. Visiting teams throughout Manitoba will have the chance to use them for tournaments, including provincials.
“Overall it’s been very positive, I’d say, from a registration numbers [standpoint], we’re starting to see the growth is there.”
A Vehicle for Cohesion
The root of the project has always been about community, and the power sport has in bringing people together.
“I think it’s helped the businesses around in the community, because when we’re hosting a tournament and we’re bringing in 100-200 players and their families, they are then in our town supporting the businesses around us,” said Stephen.
He is also a big believer in kids getting active and the many benefits that come with that.
“They need to be moving, doing things they enjoy. Facilities like this allow them to go out, play a sport they enjoy, just have fun, [and] make new friends.”
“Then they get a passion for the sport and who knows where it goes from there. To me, it’s life lessons. It’s teamwork. They’re working and playing together as a team, getting to meet each other and build relationships that will potentially last a lifetime.”
