A drive to ensure every kid was given their fair shot made Robb Vincent a baseball coach that local youth gravitated towards for over 25 years.
"He said he loved seeing the kids start out not really understanding baseball, and then throughout the year, they had a blast and they loved doing it," says Vincent's daughter Jen Breen. "I think it was just the excitement of how good the kids felt about themselves at the end of the year. It wasn't about winning or losing -- it was that they all had fun."
Robb Vincent. (Photo courtesy of Jen Breen)
Sadly, last year was the last season Vincent would coach. The 61-year-old lifelong Chatham resident passed away in September of 2016 after a battle with cancer.
Because of Vincent's contribution to youth baseball in Chatham-Kent, Breen says the Chatham Minor Baseball Association thought it was a "no-brainer" to dedicate this summer's Major Peewee baseball tournament in his memory.
"My dad's big thing was that it didn't matter how good of a player, or bad of a player you were, he wanted to make sure that you always had a good time and everybody got their fair shot," she says.
Breen says it's very fitting to have the tournament in honour of her father, adding that he began coaching players in Chatham-Kent when she was very young. She says it was Vincent's method of coaching that made him very popular with local kids.
"A lot of kids are hard on themselves... some coaches are not that encouraging and dad was always encouraging. He always knew how to make the kids feel good about themselves or he would pull them off to the side and help them be a better player," says Breen. "I think that's what some of the kids needed -- they wanted to have fun and they wanted to know they were going to praised whether did good or bad, whether they won or lost."
The three-day tournament is being held at Kinsmen Pee Wee Park on St. Clair St. in Chatham on July 28, 29 and 30.
Breen says a charity barbeque, raffle draws for numerous prizes, and a 50/50 draw will be held as the Minor Peewee teams compete. Any proceeds raised during the tournament will be donated to the Chatham Minor Baseball Association.
The tournament is already getting some local support as well. Once hearing about the event from Breen, management at the Real Canadian Superstore in Chatham was quick to lend a helping hand, as Vincent was a long-time employee. The grocery store has offered to donate any food needed for the charity barbeque.
Anyone looking to volunteer to help with the Major Peewee memorial tournament or to make donations for raffle prizes, can contact Jen Breen by email at jenandjon19@hotmail.com.
"If anyone just wants to come out and support Chatham Minor Baseball, it would mean the world to the family, to the association, and to my dad," says Breen. "It was something so near and dear to my dad, he would absolutely love people just coming out."
