Ellsworth has put O’Leary on Canada’s softball map

There’s a ball field in O’Leary, tucked in between the curling rink and the elementary school. It’s called ‘Jeff Ellsworth Field’ and for good reason. The municipal council named the field in honour of one of Canada’s most outstanding softball players, who also happens to be the town’s recreation director.

Well, he is for now, but Jeff Ellsworth has given notice he will be leaving the post next month.

He will be missed.

In his four years as the town’s recreation department, Ellsworth has helped put the community on Canada’s softball map, as O’Leary successfully hosted several national and Eastern Canadian softball championships.

Of course, it’s not all Ellsworth’s doings, as the tournaments depended on the participation of a small army of volunteers, and the town already had lights installed at Ellis Field to make night games possible.

But Ellsworth’s role was significant.

He knows softball and the softball world knows him.

That means a lot when such an individual is on the host committee for a perspective championship.

He also demonstrated his willingness to work night and day to get fields ready after unexpected downpours, inspiring many volunteers to pitch in.

Along the way, he served as coach of Prince Edward Island’s Canada Games women’s team and last year he took over as coach of the national junior men’s team; actually holding the final selection camp in O’Leary on the heels of a national U18 Men’s tournament there. And now he’s giving up his position to focus on marketing and promotion of a training aid for softball and baseball batters that he helped develop.

A Spud Chuckers Softball Gala that Ellsworth developed takes place in O’Leary and area the week before he leaves his post. That still leaves U12 boys and girls Eastern Canadian championships to be held in O’Leary the last weekend in August.

Success in hosting that championship is critical in the post Jeff Ellsworth, rec director era.

The army of volunteers he helped develop will need to be mobilized so that the town can prove it can carry on as a softball championship hosting venue without him in charge. Continuing on as a tournament hosting community could then become Ellsworth’s legacy. During his time in O’Leary, Ellsworth developed a successful December hockey tournament that drew teams to all of western Prince County’s arenas.

But it is in the sport of softball that he really shines on the field and as a coach and organizer.

Softball might be but a sport, but when the sport attracts teams and players to a community, then that sport becomes a catalyst for community development and pride.

The Town of O’Leary has certainly benefitted from Ellsworth’s rich history in softball.