Jays Care supports Indigenous youth through baseball
By Leslie Knibbs
MISSISSAUGA #8 FIRST NATION —It’s estimated that six in 10 Indigenous boys aged 12 to 17 take part in active sports; this is 14 % higher than girls the same age. Perhaps the sport most popular with this age group for boys and girls is baseball. The Jays Care program has supported children and youths’ mixed baseball leagues across Canada for 30 years. This is an organization under the umbrella of the Toronto Blue Jays which believes in “a level playing field for all children and youth across Canada”, according to their Vision statement.
The Jays Care Foundation was founded in 1992. In 2015, the Jays Care Foundation partnered with the Kenora Chief’s Advisory (KCA), a group of allied First Nations in Northwestern Ontario to plant the seeds for a children and youth’s baseball league where baseball could be used to help resolve mental health issues among youth in the area. As a result of this partnership, the first (Jays Care) Indigenous Rookie League was established, engaging children and youth to play baseball together, further develop community pride, and creating a safe environment for youth to play.
A tool to teach children
Throughout the years, the foundation has promoted baseball “as a tool to teach children essential skills like teamwork, leadership, and resiliency.” The organization believes in collaboration and reconciliation with Indigenous people. Jays Care is supporting seven First Nations of the North Shore Tribal Council (NSTC) with everything needed for the Jays Care league including equipment, travel expenses, and anything else the children may need to participate. The league includes Atikmeksheng, Sagamok, Serpent River, Mississauga #8, Thessalon, Batchewana, and the Sault Ste. Marie Indian Friendship Centre. Members playing in the league are ages eight to 15.
Eight Tribal Councils participating across Canada
The first season for the league started in July and ended on August 27 with a tournament of all seven teams hosted by Mississauga #8 First Nation. Friends and family members travelled to Mississauga to cheer on their teams.
“Currently, Jays Care has partnered with eight other Tribal Councils or Health Authorities to bring league play to their member communities. Leagues are currently running in Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and New Brunswick,” said Shelley Wattproulx, a senior manager in the Jays Care program.
Sarah and Jacob Day travelled from Sault Ste. Marie to watch their nine-year-old Langston play third base in the games. Louis Kwissiwa and his wife Rebecca Wabigwan had two boys playing on the Sault Ste. Marie Indigenous Friendship Center’s team. Father Jonathon Bineshiih and his daughter made the drive from Serpent River First Nation to the tournament. The stands were filled with families and friends of the teams, all cheering them on.
Jays Care representatives Rebecca Lansley and Eileen O’Boyle were on-hand throughout the day to offer assistance and meet and greet league players and their families. Cynthia McCutcheon and Lisa Marie Naponse, both health workers from Maamwesying (NSTC), officiated as well as offering encouragement to all the players.
According to Jays Care, “The Indigenous Rookie League is unique in its design as it focuses on social connection, health, and wellness not just for children and youth, but for the whole community. The goals of the program reflect this family and community-centered approach:
- Enhance the self-confidence and self-esteem of children and youth;
- Enhance the overall physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental health of children and youth;
- Connect communities through sport and provide opportunities for the sharing of culture;
- Create opportunities for inter-generational connection through sport and play;
- Promote strong community leadership and provide leadership opportunities to youth; and
- Provide opportunities for success through sport that children and youth can apply to other areas of their lives.”
Jays Care for the whole community
It’s not just the youth and children who benefit from this exceptional program sponsored by the Toronto Blue Jays. In Serpent River First Nation, as with all participating communities, dozens of residents took part in their team’s activities. Indigenous Rookie League is unique in its design as it focuses on social connection, health, and wellness not just for children and youth, but for the whole community.
The list is long for those community members who helped out with the Jays Care teams in all seven First Nations this year. This year, Serpent River First Nation readied the ball field for the start of the Cutler Jays season. The Serpent River First Nation coaching staff included Carol Day, the youth representative with Maamwesying and Jays Care, Buffy Johnston, and Samantha Commanda, all with the assistance of local youth Adam Eshkibok and Sienna Harrington. Others helping out included Chief and Council, James Owl with payment for shirts used at the beginning of the season, Brad Commanda who donated pizzas for the team and staff, Jeremi St. Denis of St. Denis Market with donations of scone dogs and canteen items, as well as the Barrie Area Native Advisory Circle who donated team water bottles.
At the banquet held in Serpent River First Nation at the end of their season, Shelly Watt Proulx, a Jays Care representative, announced the local team would receive 28 tickets to the Blue Jays game on Sept.30 for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Day. Following the final all-teams tournament in Mississauga, families, and teams all enjoyed a dinner and awards ceremony at the Community Centre Complex.