Softball Canada, Maccabi USA to be featured on Ballpark Radio’s 2011 AAU Broadcasts

Live Broadcasts Begin Friday at 11am EST

The Softball Canada Development Team and Maccabi USA will be among the teams featured on Ballpark Radio’s live audio broadcasts from the 2011 AAU International Tournament from the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney World, in Orlando Florida.
Both teams are sponsoring two broadcasts each, including the first broadcast of the weekend, on Friday morning at 11:00 AM EST, in which the two teams are pitted against each other.

Maccabi’s second broadcast will be later that night, Friday, January 21 at 7 PM EST against the Lanzeros of Venezuela, while Softball Canada’s first round playoff game on Saturday will be broadcast as well.

Ballpark Radio will broadcast a total of six games on the weekend, two on Friday, two on Saturday and two on Sunday, including an 11 AM EST semi final game, and 1 PM EST Championship Game. Ballparkradio’s lead broadcaster, Kyle Smith will be behind the mike for all six broadcasts, joined by various guests throughout the tournament. (Jim Flanagan, who has broadcast the AAU International Tournament for the past seven years will not be making the trip in 2011.)

2011 AAU BROADCAST SCHEDULE
(All Games Eastern Time Zone, EST)

Friday, January 21, 2011
11am EST – Softball Canada vs. Maccabi USA.
7pm EST Lanzeros VEN vs. Macabbi USA

Saturday, January 22, 2011
Softball Canada vs. First round playoff opponent
Game, Teams and Time TBA

Sunday, January 23, 2011
11am EST – Semi-Final – teams TBA
1pm EST – Championship game

Editor’s note: With 40 teams, and only three days, we won’t get a chance to broadcast the games of most teams. (Sorry). We will do our best throughout the six broadcasts though, to keep fans updated with scores from the other diamonds. So even if your favorite team may not have their game broadcast, we encourage you to tune in, enjoy the broadcast, and catch a few scores in the process.

There is one broadcast slot available on Saturday, January 22, 2011, for a second round playoff game. If your team is interested, email Ballparkradio, at jim (at) ballparkradio.com.

The Maccabi USA broadcasts on Friday will be of special interest to one of their players who is not making the trip, Dave Blackburn. Dave was badly injured in an auto accident in August 2010, but in the midst of a remarkable recovery at a Los Angeles area rehabilitation center. Many in the fastpitch community have followed Dave’s story, and have sent cards, letters and words of encouragement. Further details here and here (“Dave Blackburn, A Maccabi Miracle”). Arrangements are being worked out so that Dave can listen in from the Rehab center where he has been since last month.

Players, fans and friends who wish to send Dave a note can send it to:

Dave Blackburn
Hancock Park Rehabilitation Center
505 North La Brea Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 937-4860

or email him at yourfastpitchfriends (at) fastpitchwest.com

From Softball Canada:

Softball Canada Men’s Development Team gets ready for AAU Tournament

(Kissimmee, Florida) The 2011 Softball Canada Men’s Development arrived in Kissimmee, Florida this past weekend for a few days of team preparations prior to competing at the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) International Men’s Fast Pitch tournament. The event will begin on Thursday, January 20th and will conclude on Sunday, January 23rd at the ESPN Wide World of Sports at Disney World.

Softball Canada is pleased to announce that Ballpark Radio (www.BallparkRadio.com) will have a live internet audio broadcast of at least a pair of its games, including the preliminary round game between the Softball Canada Development Team vs. Maccabi USA at 11:00am EST on Friday, January 21st. The Softball Canada Development Team’s first playoff game on Saturday, January 22nd (time to be determined) will also be broadcasted live by Ballpark Radio. In addition, one of the Semi-Final games and the Championship game will both air live on Sunday, January 23rd.

The athletes who will represent Softball Canada as members of the Men’s Developmental Team at the event are:

1. Tyson Barkman (Abbotsford, BC)
2. Ryan Boland (St. John’s, NL)
3. Trevor Boutilier (Halifax, NS)
4. Brad Ezekiel (Harbour Main, NL)
5. Ian Fehrman (Townsend, ON)
6. Calem Gardner (Squamish, BC)
7. Joran Graham (Micksburg, ON)
8. Jason Hill (St. John’s, NL)
9. Rowan Lam (Glencoe, ON)
10. Derek Mayson (North Vancouver, BC)
11. Brennan Pokoyoway (Saskatoon, SK)
12. Mathieu Roy (Saint-Gervais, QC)
13. Andy Skelton (Scarborough, ON)
14. Jeremy Tracy (Waterville, NB)
15. Ryan Wolfe (Melbourne, ON)

Coaching Staff
Head Coach: Don Bates (Saskatoon, SK)
Assistant Coach: Les Howey (Saskatoon, SK)
Assistant Coach: John Stuart (Vancouver, BC)
Athletic Therapist: Adam Davies (Ottawa, ON)

Ian Fehrman, Derek Mayson, and Ryan Wolfe are veterans of the Men’s National Team program, and helped Canada win the Bronze medal at the 2009 ISF Men’s World Championship in Saskatoon, SK. In addition, Tyson Barkman and Mathieu Roy are former Junior Men’s National Team members, each earning a Bronze medal at the 2005 ISF Junior Men’s World Championship in Summerside, PEI. Joran Graham was a member of the Junior Men’s National Team that won a Silver medal at the 2008 ISF Junior Men’s World Championship in Whitehorse, YK.

‘This Developmental Team roster features five 23 year olds, one 22 year old, and one 21 year old, so we are taking a young team to expose them to our program and a high level of play’ said Don Bates, Men’s National Team Head Coach. ‘Men’s National Team captain Ryan Wolfe, along with other experienced National Team players Ian Fehrman and Derek Mayson, will provide some veteran leadership to the team.’

AAU Tournament – Canadian Development Team Schedule
January 20: Canada vs. Lanzeros (Venezuela) – 3:00pm EST
January 21: Canada vs. Maccabi (USA) – 11:00am EST – Live on Ballpark Radio
January 21: Canada vs. Ohio Battery – 3:00pm EST
January 22: Playoff Round (Time TBD – Live on Ballpark Radio)
January 23: Playoff Round

Visit www.softball.ca
for game reports following each Softball Canada Development Team game.

For more information, please contact:

Gilles LeBlanc
Manager – Marketing and Communications
Softball Canada
(613) 523-3386 ext. 3105
gleblanc (at) softball.ca