Jaster’s Jabberings – Brandon Sun

JASTER’S JABBERINGS — Some ugly moments mar big events

Chris Jaster 6 minute read Tuesday, Jun. 18, 2019

Sports can bring out the best in people as well as the worst, and we’ve seen both sides of that in the last week.

The Toronto Raptors’ run to their first-ever National Basketball Association title seems to have brought an entire country together as well as more than a million people to downtown Toronto to celebrate both after winning the crown on Thursday and on Monday for the parade.

However, a lack of sportsmanship by players and fans alike seemed to have stolen headlines.

Raptors fans cheered when Kevin Durant went down injured during Game 5 of the NBA Finals in Toronto. American players had over-the top celebrations for every goal when blowing out Thailand at the Women’s World Cup in a game that ended 13-0. Then there’s Simoni Lawrence’s head shot on a defenceless Zach Collaros in the CFL season opener.

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JASTER’S JABBERINGS — New era begins tonight for local baseball fans

Chris Jaster 7 minute read Preview

JASTER’S JABBERINGS — New era begins tonight for local baseball fans

Chris Jaster 7 minute read Monday, May. 27, 2019

Baseball has taken a bit of a hit in southwest Manitoba recently.

In 2017, the Manitoba Senior Baseball League, the only senior AAA circuit in the province, officially folded after taking a year’s leave of absence in 2016. That sparked a junior AAA team, the Brandon Marlins, to be created but they lasted just three years before being unable to field a team this season. The decline is even noticeable at the senior AA level as some teams, most notably the Minnedosa Mavericks who won 10 straight Santa Clara league titles at one point, lacking enough players to hit the diamond this summer.

There may be light at the end of the tunnel though. The area will feature the highest level of baseball since the 1990s starting this evening when the Wheat City Whiskey Jacks play their first-ever home game at Andrews Field. The Expedition League is a summer college league, making it the highest level of ball in the region since the independent Prairie League — which featured the Brandon Grey Owls and Westman Wranglers — ran from 1995 to 1997.

I have never seen an Expedition League game, but I have covered a summer college circuit in the Western Major Baseball League, which is based out of Saskatchewan and Alberta. It’s pretty good baseball with guys who are on NCAA or NAIA teams trying to develop by seeing more playing time during their off-season in these leagues.

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Monday, May. 27, 2019

Outfielder Jackson Pokorney and the Wheat City Whiskey Jacks have their home opener tonight at Andrews Field. (Perry Bergson/The Brandon Sun)

JASTER’S JABBERINGS — Recreation master plan causing concerns for racquetball’s future

Chris Jaster 7 minute read Preview

JASTER’S JABBERINGS — Recreation master plan causing concerns for racquetball’s future

Chris Jaster 7 minute read Tuesday, Apr. 16, 2019

The City of Brandon had an open house for its recreation and community facilities master plan last week, and for the most part it looked pretty good.

A new outdoor pool with waterslides similar to what’s in Souris would be fantastic to replace the current outdated outdoor facilities. A covered ice shed would do a lot to add another much-needed sheet of hockey ice in the city during the winter as Westoba Place, Kinsmen Arena, Enns Brothers Arena and the Sportsplex rinks are booked solid, resulting in some teams booking ice times out of town to practice.

The new proposed outdoor field complex looks good as well. It has 10 soccer fields and one cricket pitch, although some of the soccer fields can be used for cricket as well. The design should ensure it won’t flood at the proposed location of Veterans Way and First Street.

This complex is desperately needed since Optimist Park was abandoned after annual floods and, even though Brandon Youth Soccer Association is bringing parts of it back, there is concern that it isn’t viable long term. The cricket community is also growing and needs a place to play so this is ideal for them as well.

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Tuesday, Apr. 16, 2019

File
The concept drawing for the Sportsplex expansion.

JASTER’S JABBERINGS – Westmanites up for Sport Manitoba awards this weekend

Chris Jaster 4 minute read Preview

JASTER’S JABBERINGS – Westmanites up for Sport Manitoba awards this weekend

Chris Jaster 4 minute read Tuesday, Apr. 9, 2019

Just a few random thoughts this week.

• There are quite a few Westmanites up for Sport Manitoba awards at its Night of Champions this weekend. Israel Potter, a 10-pin bowler from Brandon, is up for junior male athlete of the year while trap shooter Pat Lamont of the Wheat City is a finalist for open male athlete of the year. Dave Martine of Brandon is also up for male coach of the year, with Trina Bandura of Brandon nominated for outstanding volunteer of the year for her work with KidSport.

Meanwhile, a pair of Brandonites, Ken Shepherd (ringette) and Martine (baseball) are finalists for the Konica Minolta Dr. Jack Hunt Memorial Award for learn to train/train to train at Sport Manitoba’s coaching impact awards banquet, while Neepawa’s Bryce Koscielny (track and field) is up for the Peter Williamson Memorial Award for train to compete/train to win. Vincent Massey High School’s Heather Baranyk has a nominee for the Peter Dick Award for school system coaches.

The Coach of the Year gala will take place in Winnipeg on Saturday at 10 a.m. with the Night of Champions banquet following at 7 p.m. Good luck to all of our locals.

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Tuesday, Apr. 9, 2019

Perry Bergson/The Brandon Sun
Trap shooter Pat Lamont of the Wheat City is a finalist for Sport Manitoba's open male athlete of the year.

JASTER’S JABBERINGS: Pearson closing up Boxe Neepawa, says it will be back in future

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JASTER’S JABBERINGS: Pearson closing up Boxe Neepawa, says it will be back in future

Chris Jaster 4 minute read Tuesday, May. 1, 2018

After four years of working almost non-stop, Derek Pearson is taking a break.

He taught his final class at Boxe Neepawa last week, the equipment was moved from the club’s Hamilton Street location in Neepawa on the weekend and the doors closed on the combat sports club on Monday. Pearson, the not-for-profit club’s founder and coach, thought this was the perfect time for the Boxe Neepawa to take a hiatus for the summer, especially since numbers usually drop during the spring as athletes focus on minor sports.

The break will allow him to re-energize himself — Pearson was teaching 25 classes a week while also working as the marketing director, trainer and dryland trainer for the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s Neepawa Natives — and take care of a few things he’d like to do with the club.

First and foremost is finding a new home.

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Tuesday, May. 1, 2018

Neepawa Banner and Press
Boxe Neepawa founder and teacher Derek Pearson is shutting down the not-for-profit combat sport club to give himself a break while searching for a new home for a different style of club when he reopens it in the future.

JASTER’S JABBERINGS — Neufeld developed athletes, coaches in lengthy career

Chris Jaster 7 minute read Preview

JASTER’S JABBERINGS — Neufeld developed athletes, coaches in lengthy career

Chris Jaster 7 minute read Tuesday, Apr. 3, 2018

Last year, Kevin Neufeld took a chance to make his dream of coaching at the university level a reality.

To fill in as the head coach of the Brandon University Bobcats women’s volleyball team on an interim basis while Lee Carter was on sabbatical, Neufeld took a leave of absence from the Brandon School Division. He wasn’t sure whether he would come back to the division or what the future would hold for him.

That picture is a little clearer now as Neufeld, who taught physical education in the division for 35 years and coached various sports for 39 years, has elected not to return to the division.

“Really hard,” Neufeld, who guided a young BU team to a 10-14 record, said of the decision. “You’ve done something for 35 years and I really enjoy teaching and coaching. It will be a big transition and a big change. I always wish I had not enjoyed it as it would have made the decision easy, but I have enjoyed it and I still do. That made it that much more difficult as well. Being away at the university this year maybe got me heading down that path a bit and I hope to maybe contribute in some of those areas as well.”

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Tuesday, Apr. 3, 2018

Nathan Liewicki/The Brandon Sun
After spending the 2017-18 season at the helm of the Brandon University Bobcats women’s volleyball team on an interim basis, Kevin Neufeld will not be returning to the Brandon School Division. He taught phys ed in it for 35 years.

JASTER’S JABBERINGS: Curling trickle-down coming after teams lose at Roar of Rings

Chris Jaster 4 minute read Preview

JASTER’S JABBERINGS: Curling trickle-down coming after teams lose at Roar of Rings

Chris Jaster 4 minute read Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2017

Just a few random thoughts this week:

• It seems like high school volleyball season just ended, which mean basketball is just starting to find its groove. Crocus Plains hosted a varsity girls’ tournament last weekend and from Thursday to Saturday it’s the varsity boys’ time to shine at the 14th annual Brandon Sun Spartan Invitational. Once again, the event will feature 32 teams, with Neelin playing in the Victoria Inn (Tier I) Division and Vincent Massey and Crocus Plains in the Tri-Star (Tier 2) Division. There will be 80 games played during the three days at six different gyms, which means there’s lots of entertainment out there.

• If basketball isn’t your thing, consider heading down to the Keystone Centre’s Amphitheatre on Saturday. The Brandon Boxing Club is hosting a card — doors open at 6 p.m., with the first bout starting at 7 o’clock — and there will be lots of local fighters stepping into the ring.

• Kudos to the Brandon Wheat Kings. By all accounts, Star Wars night was a success. The organization went all out with people dressed as characters from the movie franchise, special jerseys and Star Wars-themed game-day operations. It made for a fun night that everyone seemed to enjoy.

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Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2017

The Canadian Press
Team Homan and Team Koe pose with their new Olympic uniforms as they celebrate their wins at the 2017 Roar of the Rings Olympic Curling Trials in Ottawa on Sunday.

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NFL players entitled to protest if they want

Chris Jaster 4 minute read Preview

NFL players entitled to protest if they want

Chris Jaster 4 minute read Tuesday, Sep. 26, 2017

The age-old question of does politics belong in sports popped up again last week.

At a rally in Alabama on Friday, United States President Donald Trump said, “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now, out, he’s fired. He’s fired.”

His comments were regarding some National Football League players taking a knee during the national anthem to protest racial inequality and other issues in the country. It’s their way of showing patriotism and pushing for change instead of disrespecting the military, flag and anthem.

The reaction on Sunday? Teams stood arm-in-arm, some kneeling during the anthem, or didn’t leave their locker-rooms until after “The Star-Spangled Banner” was completed.

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Tuesday, Sep. 26, 2017

Mark Zaleski/The Associated Press
Officials stand on the sideline of the Seattle Seahawks during the playing of the national anthem before an NFL game between the Seahawks and the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, in Nashville, Tenn. Neither team came out onto the field for the anthem.

JASTER’S JABBERINGS: Hawrysh leaves sport of skeleton with no regrets

Chris Jaster 7 minute read Preview

JASTER’S JABBERINGS: Hawrysh leaves sport of skeleton with no regrets

Chris Jaster 7 minute read Tuesday, Jul. 18, 2017

A lot of Cassie Hawrysh’s career in skeleton was plagued with unfortunate circumstances that were out of her control.

Those events cause Hawrysh to change tours she raced on and potentially cost her a spot on the Canadian team that competed in the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia. So it seems fitting that the 33-year-old Brandon product is going out on her own terms, announcing her retirement from the sport last week, just seven months away from the start of the 2018 Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea.

“I had been doing this for a number of years and had said to myself it had to be something that you were absolutely sure you wanted to be doing and pursuing because whatever I do I put 100 per cent into and I didn’t want that to waiver,” said Hawrysh, who announced her retirement with a love letter to the sport on her blog. “I just knew with how everything had been ... I don’t know how it explain this to anyone in words.

“It’s tricky for any athlete to make this decision. Some athletes have to make this decision because it’s made for them, whether it be politically or physically. For me, I got to decide when my time was up. I had written a blog earlier this past season that this story is mine and I will decide how it is written. This event is no different. I wanted to move forward with as much strength and absolution for my past and recognized that was to be done.”

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Tuesday, Jul. 18, 2017

CP
Cassie Hawrysh, shown in action in 2016 in Whistler, B.C., has called it quits in skeleton after a fine career.

JASTER’S JABBERINGS: Riders’ stadium quickly feels like their new home

Chris Jaster 5 minute read Tuesday, Jul. 11, 2017

There was one question going through the minds of Brandon University Bobcats and Winnipeg football fans a few years ago.

It’s now a question Saskatchewan football fans are dealing with: When does a new stadium feel like home?

Bobcats fans encountered this with the opening of the Healthy Living Centre, Winnipeg football fans with Investors Group Field and now Saskatchewan football fans with new Mosaic Stadium.

I was hesitant about the new stadium in Regina, since the old one meant so much. I went to Roughrider games as a child with my dad and grandfathers — the three had season tickets together for years. It was irreplaceable bonding time with them and that’s also where my passion for the sport developed.

JASTER’S JABBERINGS — Dinsdale recognized by MHSAA for volunteering as a coach

Chris Jaster 5 minute read Preview

JASTER’S JABBERINGS — Dinsdale recognized by MHSAA for volunteering as a coach

Chris Jaster 5 minute read Tuesday, Jun. 20, 2017

Rob Dinsdale took over a very difficult situation last year.

After Kevin Boyd unexpectedly passed away, Dinsdale became the new head coach of the Crocus Plainsmen football team, replacing a man loved by players and coaches alike who helped make “Plainsmen for life” and the pride in the high school an earmark of the program.

The 31-year-old teacher coached the Plainsmen to a 4-3 record in the Winnipeg High School Football League’s Kas Vidruk (AA) Division and a playoff berth last year. They fell 36-0 to the St. Paul’s Crusaders in the quarter-finals.

On Monday, Dinsdale’s efforts were rewarded by receiving the Manitoba High Schools Athletic Association’s Frank L. McKinnon Award for outstanding volunteerism in high school sport.

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Tuesday, Jun. 20, 2017

File
Rob Dinsdale won the MHSAA’s Frank L. McKinnon Award for outstanding volunteerism in high school sport.

Concussion bill needs a little tweak

Chris Jaster 8 minute read Tuesday, Jun. 6, 2017

If there’s one word that seems to have dominated the sports injury lexicon, and strikes fear in a lot of people, during the last few years, it’s concussions.

One mention to anyone in football circles can make them shiver. People are learning more and more about them and how serious they can become, which is why the provincial government introduced a bill last Monday that will require youth and high school sports organizations to establish detailed concussion protocols for anyone under the age of 18.

The bill is the first of its kind in Canada, and it seems like one that will only do good by raising the awareness and education level of people about concussions. However, a concern with it is making sure player safety will always come first.

Bill 37 requires any youth athletes suspected of having a concussion to be removed from the field of play and not allowed to return until medically cleared. It puts the responsibility of removing the child from play on the head coach.

Track delays shrink Special O Games

Chris Jaster 6 minute read Tuesday, May. 23, 2017

The Special Olympics Manitoba estimated around 600 athletes and coaches would be in Brandon for its provincial Summer Games from June 16 to 18. That number has been cut by around a quarter.

The track at UCT Stadium is in the process of being replaced and the rubberized surface won’t be laid down until June, which means it won’t be useable for the multi-sport event. Unfortunately for Brandon, around 150 to 200 track and field athletes, coaches and volunteers from out of town were expected to come in for that part of the Special Olympic Games, and those people won’t be in the city at all.

Special Olympics Manitoba is holding a track and field competition in Winnipeg the following weekend that will decide its provincial champions. No one can blame the organization for the decision and trying to make the best of an unfortunate situation.

“It’s unfortunate that we couldn’t have a complete Games, but like a lot of things we have to roll with the punches and make sure our athletes have the event that they deserve,” said Jennifer Campbell, the president and CEO of Special Olympics Manitoba. “That’s kind of how we’ve had to approach it.

Jerry Maguire said it all

Chris Jaster 6 minute read Preview

Jerry Maguire said it all

Chris Jaster 6 minute read Tuesday, May. 16, 2017

There’s a classic scene in the 1996 movie “Jerry Maguire” where the title character, a sports agent played by Tom Cruise, begs football receiver Rod Tidwell, played by Cuba Gooding Jr. to help Tidwell help him negotiate a contract.

Today, I’m asking the same of the various sporting groups in our community. Help us help you.

The thing we pride ourselves most on in the Brandon Sun sports department is covering Brandon and Westman events to the best of our ability. Without a doubt, there are certain teams and organizations that we will dedicate more time and effort to, such as the Brandon Wheat Kings, Brandon University Bobcats and curling provincials. We love high school sports here as well but also want to give coverage to any sport, be it at the minor, junior or senior levels. Sometimes it may be a feature, sometimes it’s just a photo, but we would like to be there.

There are a few challenges with trying to get as much local content as possible into the paper. During the winter, Perry Bergson, Nathan Liewicki and myself often feel run off our feet and find ourselves putting in extra time and effort to make sure we get high school, MJHL and midget AAA hockey results and stories in print as well as anything else that is reported to us.

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Tuesday, May. 16, 2017

File
Former Brandon University Bobcat Mikee Dosado.

JASTER’S JABBERINGS: Year of change in high school hockey league

Chris Jaster 6 minute read Preview

JASTER’S JABBERINGS: Year of change in high school hockey league

Chris Jaster 6 minute read Tuesday, May. 9, 2017

Last fall, Corey Forbes and a few other members of the Westman High School Hockey League were a little concerned about how much longer the circuit would be viable after Melita-Waskada and Rivers-Elton were unable to ice teams.

A lot of change will take place next season, including the disappearance of that worry. Forbes, who’s from Glenboro, and Jason Alf of Dauphin are taking over as co-presidents after Brad Twordik resigned the position and they will have a bunch of new teams. Both Melita-Waskada and Rivers-Elton have committed to return, and three new teams were approved to join at the league at its AGM last week.

McCreary, which will also draw players from Ste. Rose, Glenella and Alonsa, as well as Roblin, which is in a co-operative with Grandview and Gilbert Plains, and Sandy Bay will give the league 18 teams next season.

The growth makes the regional league by far the largest high school one in the province outside Winnipeg. Adding Sandy Bay First Nation’s school to the league will diversify it more and may give kids a different experience when they have to play up there as well.

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Tuesday, May. 9, 2017

File
Longtime coach Peter Gerlinger is finally hanging up his whistle after coaching at all three Brandon high schools in the Westman High School Hockey League. He last coached at Crocus.

Soccer community in a tough situation

Chris Jaster 8 minute read Preview

Soccer community in a tough situation

Chris Jaster 8 minute read Tuesday, May. 2, 2017

For the baseball, softball, football and rugby communities, it’s an exciting time with new fields being built or opened or their current ones getting a facelift this year.

For soccer, it’s an entirely different story. My look at community fields wraps up this week with the world’s most popular sport.

If there are any positive feelings coming from soccer, it would be cautious optimism for the future. The last six years have been incredibly rough for the community with Optimist Park flooding virtually year after year since 2011. Just when Brandon Youth Soccer Association felt it got rid of the silt and had the fields ready to open for the following spring, the melt would cause it to flood and the organization would be at square one all over again.

This constant source of frustration has done a few things. First and foremost, it caused BYSA to use school fields around the city. However, with nearly 1,000 kids registered in the recreation league, Westman FC premier programs and out-of-town teams for the last few years, it hasn’t taken long for those fields to get worn down. Some are almost unsafe for use.

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Tuesday, May. 2, 2017

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