Congratulations to the Ottawa Patriots for winning the U18 Midget AA division of the 2019 Muskoka Cup, defeating Leaside in the final 9-1.  Our local Hornets lost a hard fought semi final to Leaside 11-9, while Ottawa beat London 13-5 to set up the final.

Great weekend of baseball - to see scoring summary, please click on the tournament heading on our website home page.

Next up is the Bantam and Mosquito Muskoka Cup on the weekend of July 19-21 - please come out and enjoy some great baseball at a local diamond nearest you.

Congrats to Innisfil in its win in our U9 division of the Muskoka Cup.  Innisfil defeated Whitby 8-3 in the finals.  

In the U13 division, Uxbridge defeated the local Muskoka Hornets 10-0 to win this division.

Great weekend of baseball.  On to the Midgets (U18s) next weekend.

We are pleased to welcome a total of 54 teams to this year's five Muskoka Cup divisions.  Action gets under way this weekend June 28-30 in Huntsville in the U9 (Rookie) and U13 (Peewee) divisions.  

Schedules and scores for Peewee (U13) can be found by clicking here or for Rookie (U9) by clicking here

Midget (U18)  schedule here.

Alternatively, you can scroll down under the Tournaments heading.

Have fun, play safe and respect the game.

The Muskoka Hornets maintain a close relationship with the teaching professionals at Edge Baseball Training in Barrie.  Our Director of Player Development, Ryan Davis, is the President of Edge.  Ryan and his team work throughout the spring and summer with our program at grass roots house league as well as the rep and select travel teams.  

From July 1st to 5th, 2019, the Hornets are pleased to offer our 8th Annual Summer Day Camp run by Edge at beautiful Peake Field in Bracebridge.    Sign up information is now available by clicking here.   We will have a record number of campers in 2019 but always have room for more.

To learn more about our summer camp, please contact Ryan Davis at edgeballtraining@gmail.com or by phone at 705-896-3640.

We want to wish the Muskoka Hornets Midget AA squad best of luck on its trip to Halifax this week.  The team boarded its flight on Wednesday and will participate in a local tournament in Dartmouth from Friday until Sunday and play a couple exhibition games along the way.  The team will pitch a tent on some local landmarks, dip its toes into the ocean and return on Tuesday of next week.

Good luck and do us proud Hornets.

The Muskoka Hornets handed out hardware at  is recent annual awards banquet.  Congratulations to all the award winners listed below:

Team Awards

9U MVP - Clarke Natoli, MIP - Hayden Banks

11U MVP - Justine McNaughton, MIP - Corbin DuQuesnay, Rookie of the Year - Drew Bloor

13U - MVP - Ethan Nixon, MIP - Jacob Chilton

15U - Co MVPs - Zach Boese and Jacob White, Co-MIPs - Winston Young and Brad Adams 

18U - MVP - Logan McKnight, MIP - Scott Adams

Program  Awards

Most Dedicated Hornet - Justine McNaughton

Coach of the Year - Graham Leishman

Volunteer of the Year - Greg Reuvekamp

Umpire of the Year - Three Way Tie to the organizations that support our Muskoka Cups each and every year - Innisfil, Barrie and Orillia 

Thank you for your support

It is NOT too late to register for the upcoming Muskoka Hornets house league baseball season.  We are still taking registrations for all age groups in both Huntsville and Gravenhurst although please note that we closed the Mosquito-Peewee division in Gravenhurst due to lack of numbers.  If you registered for this division, then you can play in Huntsville or receive a full refund.

Note: Hornets management decided to wave late fees for 2019.

If you have any questions, then please let me know.

Yours in Baseball, 

Peter Haynes

President

Please click on this link to be taken to our registration page.

Important Dates:

House league seasons starts in late May and runs to Mid-August.

All House League games in Huntsville are Wednesday night.

For Gravenhurst, bee ball and rookie are Wednesday night and Mosquito and Peewee are Thursday night.

There are age specific open practices for all house league players in Huntsville on Friday evenings (subject to diamond availability).

Please contact Peter Haynes at muskokahornets@rogers.com if you have any questions.

Note: there is an additional $25 charge for any player registration payment received after April 30, 2019.

We are currently taking reservations for the 2019 Muskoka Cup summer baseball tournaments.  Please click here to be transferred to the registration page.

Note - some divisions now on wait list

Rookie and Peewee Select  (wait list)- June 28-30

Midget AA and Below - July 5-7

Mosquito (wait list) and Bantam Select (wait list) - July 19-21

For any further information, please contact Peter Haynes at muskokahornets@rogers.com or by phone at 416-818-3036.

The Muskoka Hornets will field 5 travel teams in 2019. 

Contact Info - 2019 Coaches

Rookie - (2010-2011) - Coach - David Gemmell - david_gemmell10@hotmail.com 

Mosquito (2008-2009) - Coach - Cam Boyd - muskokabaseball@live.ca

Peewee (2006-2007) - Coach - Graham Leishman - graham@leishmanlandscaping.com

Bantam (2004-2005) - Coach - Gunnar Muller - gunnar@lynnvalleymfg.com

Midget (2001-2003) - Coach - Joe Hickes - josephhickes@gmail.com

Please contact Peter Haynes at muskokahornets@rogers.com if you have any program oriented questions.

I am pleased to announce that David Gemmell is joining the Board of the Muskoka Hornets.  David is currently the head coach of our rookie (U9) team and is an assistant coach on our Peewee (U13) team.  It is great to add another board member that has on-field experience and can assist in the organisation and planning of coaching and player development.  David's specific responsibilities at the Board level will evolve over time.

For a complete list of Muskoka Hornets executives, please see the corresponding page on this website.

Yours in Baseball

Peter Haynes

At the Muskoka Hornets AGM on Friday, December 28, membership voted on some changes to the composition of the Muskoka Hornets Board of Directors.    At this meeting, two new directors were confirmed and one additional Board member added post meeting.

On behalf of the Muskoka Hornets program, please welcome Kate Mcnaughton, Jackie Nikiforuk and Laura Zipay to the Board.  Kate will be convening Huntsville's House League program, Jackie will be Secretary/Registrar and Laura will take on Social Media as well as be involved with the Gravenhurst House League.

Also at this meeting it was announced that Andy Howse would be leaving the Hornets Board at the end of 2018.  I would like to thank Andy for his contribution to the program and years of dedication to make the Hornets program better.

Without volunteers, there would be no Muskoka Hornets program. Please take a moment the next time you attend a Hornets event to thank the coaches, managers and other volunteers for the never ending support of minor baseball in Muskoka.

Thank you to all 60 teams that competed in this year's four Muskoka Cup tournaments.

Here are the list of champions:

Rookie

A Champs - Sudbury  B Champs - Beamsville

Mosquito

A Champs - Beamsville  B Champs - Creemore

Peewee (July 1st Weekend)

A Champs - Sudbury  B Champs - Muskoka

Bantam 

A Champs - Muskoka  B Champs - Markham

We will send out notice of next year's dates and early registration opportunity to all of this year's participants in the fall.

For more news click here

The Muskoka Hornets Bantam Select team sponsored by Thermo Seal made it through a long and gruelling weekend of baseball before running into a strong team from Brampton in the finals of the Richmond Hill Select Tournament.   

The local Hornets were 2-0-1 in round robin play, allowing the team to qualify first in its division and setting up for a quarter final match up with the Pickering Red Sox on Sunday morning.  The Hornets won this game by a 20-6 margin and then proved victorious in the semis 9-7 over league rival Newmarket Hawks.

In the final, the Brampton Royals team proved too strong and plated 10 runs before the Hornets could reply leading to a 10-0 finish.

Congratulations to coach Gunnar Mullar and the rest of the Bantam Hornets on a great weekend of baseball.

I began umpiring almost 30 years ago and started with Men’s Fastball then did Slo Pitch, Fastball, 2 Pitch tournaments and amassed literally thousands of games over the years.

In 2010 or so I joined the Muskoka Hornets and turned my attention to only umpiring Hardball and I’ve enjoyed this more than any of the other games and more than any of the many years and countless games.

To say I learn something every game is simply a fact … but unfortunately much of what I learn is often about family dynamics and often adult/child scenarios.

I wish some of the parents who like to yell and scream non stop at their child and the others on the team (and often the children on the opposite team) could hear what I hear on the field.  I cannot count how many times I have heard these types of things from players anywhere from 5 to 17 years old during a game …

"I wish mom would quit yelling … I hate it when she yells …  it’s embarrassing …"

"How come dad won’t say he’s proud of me … all I hear about is what I do wrong…"

"Can you make my mom/Dad/grandpa/grandma sit in the parking lot?"

"Please don’t listen to my (insert name) … they don’t mean it"

"Can you throw me out of the game so I don’t have to play anymore … "

"I’m sorry my dad is being such a jerk …"

"I hate when he/she comes to my games"

"I hate baseball… I never wanted to play but (insert name) said I had to cause they didn’t get to play when they were my age"

"Do you think I’m a good player? "

"Can you come to all my games you are so nice???"

"Do some people have fun when they play ball?"

I cannot express to you how it tears me up inside when I hear these things ?  I wish that I would never hear them again but sadly; I know that I will.

The reality is that the kids are taught at practise the skills of the game… and when it’s game time they are “excited” and often “nervous”.  It is overwhelming for me to hear all the instructions coming from the benches and I know that by about the 10 minute mark of the first inning almost without exception the kids are no longer ‘hearing’ you… 

Do you really think any player doesn’t know when they make a mistake or miss a ball?  Kids are hard on themselves and when others yell at them .. it HURTS them… it really does.  I am tired of hearing kids mutter under their breath that they want to “quit” and they “hate ball”.  The fact is … they don’t hate the game or want to quit… but they do want the negativity to stop.

Do you not remember growing up and looking up to your coaches and teachers…  that’s a hard thing to achieve if on the way to and from the diamond each time the coaches/managers/ umpires are eaten alive verbally by whoever ?  THINK about it please ??

I always applaud and verbally speak to the positive parents/ coaches and teams that I encounter.  Believe me you can feel the difference on the field when everyone is positive and just having fun… isn’t that what baseball is supposed to be … “Fun?”

It’s a game mom and dad…. Coach, manager… it’s a game.  It’s a wonderful game … and I love it more than most.  But what I don’t love is trying to block out the negativity and if you watch me umpire (especially the younger players) you’ll notice I speak to them a lot…  99% of what I say is encouraging them and trying to help them enjoy their day .. and often in spite of the one/s who brought them to the game.

Baseball teaches us many things about life…  how to be part of a team; how to get better at something, how to have fun in the sun and the rain.  It should not teach us that “on the way home we are going to hear about everything that everyone including the umpires did wrong.”

Think about it folks…  and let’s have fun at the Diamonds.   I promise if you are more positive with your child … your team.. your manager… coach/s  … it will just be better all the way around.

Helen

Hornets UIC

The Muskoka Hornets are pleased to once again host the annual Spaghetti dinner and awards ceremony for 2019.  This year's event will be held at the Royal Canadian Legion in Huntsville on Friday May 17, 2019.  Doors open at 530 pm and dinner starts at 6 pm.

Please contact Laura Zipay at laurazipay@sympatico.ca if you are interested in purchasing tickets.  Cost per ticket is $8 or 4 for $25 and can be purchased at the door.

The Muskoka Hornets program is also looking for donations for its silent auction to be held at the awards dinner.  Any items you wish to donate would be greatly appreciated.

Come celebrate another year of Hornets baseball with Muskoka Hornets family and friends.

Flipgive is a new way that you can support the Muskoka Hornets while you shop on-line!  It's easy to use! Go to Flipgive.com and go to Find a Team.

Join Existing Team - Muskoka Hornets

Invite code:  ZVNMKN

and start shopping!

There are several stores and restaurants to choose from on Flipgive. Whenever you do your online shopping go through the Flipgive site, click on the store or restaurant and you will be taken directly to their site for online shopping.

A percentage of all purchases made will go directly into the Muskoka Hornets account.  It does not cost you extra to use.

Gift cards and e-Gift cards can also be purchased.

Thanks for supporting the Muskoka Hornets

The Muskoka Hornets will be offering age-specific winter training for our travel teams.  These practice sessions are open to other members  of the Hornets or players interested in joining the program, as long as the coaches are notified of this interest.

All practices will take place at Gravenhurst Public School each Sunday from February 3rd to April 28th.

Our Schedule is as Follows:

9 am - Rookie - 2010- 2012

10 am - Midget - 2001-2003 (starting March 17)

12 pm - Bantam - 2004-2005

2 pm - Peewee - 2006-2007

4 pm - Mosquito - 2008-2009

For further information, please contact the coaches listed on our home page or Peter Haynes at muskokahornets@rogers.com.