The Record • Saturday, June 19, 2010 • A21
◗ IN THE GAME
Golf pro to tee off for girls with life challenges ◗P23 Five named to Selects field lax summer rosters ◗P23
SECTION COORDINATOR Tom Berridge, 604-444-3022 • tberridge@royalcityrecord.com
The quest for a cricket culture Former national teamer to hold kids’ camp in July
BY TOM BERRIDGE SPORTS EDITOR tberridge@royalcityrecord.com
At 37 years of age, Burnaby cricketer Barry Seebaran can hardly be called an old man. But his passionate desire to return to the good old days of his favourite sport might make him appear older than his years. The Burnaby Mountain Secondary literature instructor was, and still is, at 16 years of age, the youngest-ever player to be named to Canada’s national cricket team. From 1989 to 2003, the slow, left-arm orthodox spin bowler competed for Canada at four International Cricket Council world cups, as well as the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Malaysia. The 2003 World Cup in South Africa was his last major competition. Now retired from international competition, you might think it is the game he misses. But, you would be wrong. The likeable, lanky Seebaran just wants the game he grew up with to touch more people’s lives in the same way it profoundly changed his. “It would be so cool if the sport that I love could be supported the way other sports are,” Barry said. To that end, Barry and his younger brother, Brian, a former Team Canada trialist, will he holding two cricket and kanga ball day camps in Burnaby in July. The camps, sponsored by Qoola frozen yogurt, are for both boys and girls aged six- to 13-years-old. They will be held on July 5 to 9 and again on July 19 to 23 at the Burnaby Lake Sports Complex-East cricket ground. The daily routine will include the fundamentals of fielding, batting and bowling, while also touching on sportsmanship and
Larry Wright/THE RECORD
Passion play: Former national team cricketer Barry Seebaran shows off the form he will pass on to youngster who attend Seebaz’s cricket and kanga ball day camps at Burnaby Lake Sports Complex-East this July. a fun cricket match before ending with his special Seebaz awards. It’s all done to promote
what Seebaran calls creating, “a culture of cricket.” Barry is the son of former B.C. Cricket
Association president Ben Seebaran, an outstanding spin bowler and all-rounder in his own right.
“I was part of that culture. My dad had a terrific passion for cricket. I was immersed in that cricket culture and I want to pass it on. I’d hate to lose that tradition,” said Barry. “It’s a credit to all those passionate cricketers. It wasn’t just the skills – batting, bowling and hitting – it was the whole game, the chatting with the other teams, socializing, the tea break, the way teams hosted the other teams. You feel when it’s right, and when things are taught right, it’s like no other sport.” Through the years, Barry has put his passion where his heart is with similar pursuits. He began teaching introductory kanga ball in local and Burnaby elementary schools, and when he secured a teaching position at Burnaby South Secondary in 1999, he started up the first high school cricket league, which continues to this day. He is currently assisting another passionate supporter of Lower Mainland cricket, Jack Kyle, with the pre-junior programs, teaching the under-12 players on Saturday mornings. Barry’s cricket camps are wholly supported by Cricket Canada and the provincial body. “It’s been well received,” Barry said, adding that the camp is just a first step towards a goal of building a network of support for young cricketers into adulthood. “I know from past experience there are so many different ways for kids to be successful. We want to reinforce that success with fitness, skill development and tradition,” he said. “I want it to be in and of itself a success. But even if they don’t play again, I want a team here.” And knowing Barry, he won’t stop until he too, succeeds. He was recently heartened by the news that ◗Cricket Page 23
Midget Royals earn ninth berth to softball B.C.s The New Westminster Royals midget girls’ softball team qualified for a ninth B.C. provincial tournament. The Royals earned their ninth entry into the provincials in the past 12 years with a 5-0 victory
over the Richmond Blue Jays in the District 6 championships held at Squint Lake Park in Burnaby. Jessie Duruisseau provided the key hit in the game with a basesloaded triple. Erin Livingstone helped out on
defence, making a great catch in right-centre field to help turn a double play. Other great contributions were made by Hannah Crisp, Jocelyn Oldershaw, Shannon Couzelis, Catherine Guan, Kellie Henry,
Dana Tough, Bayleigh Boonham and Sam Kovach. New Westminster allowed just one run in four games played, an 8-1 victory over the Burnaby Dynamites. The Royals blanked the Blue Jays 3-0 in the semifinals.
Juniors on top for a day BY TOM BERRIDGE SPORTS EDITOR tberridge@royalcityrecord.com
The New Westminster junior A Salmonbellies got back on track with a 17-5 victory over the lastplace Langley Thunder at Queen’s Park Arena Tuesday. The win gave the undefeated Salmonbellies a brief stint on top of the B.C. Junior Lacrosse League. The Coquitlam Adanacs snatched back the firstplace lead following a 20-9 pasting of the Delta Islanders on Wednesday. New Westminster now trails the junior A’s by a single point, but with a game in hand. Daniel McQuade had a monster game for the junior ’Bellies, breaking into the league’s top 25 scorers with a 12-point outing. The second-year righthand garnered 12 points, including a hat trick, in the win. The dozen points brought McQuade’s season numbers to 38 points in just eight games – the only top-25 player with single-digit games under his belt. Leif Mydske also put up some huge numbers, scoring five times, while adding four assists. In fact, Mydske’s first goal of the game stood up as the game-winner. The 6-0 righthander finished the opening frame with a natural hat trick. Mark Negrin also scored his team-leading sixth hat trick for the ’Bellies. Negrin leads his teammates in goals with 25 markers to date. Tyler Digby, who leads the junior Salmonbellies in team scoring, also potted a pair of goals. Digby is currently fifth in overall scoring with 22 goals and 57 points. Frank Scigliano got the win in goal for the home team, stopping 29 shots. New Westminster charged out to an 8-2 lead after the first period. The junior ’Bellies are in Delta on Saturday and at the Bill Copeland centre against Burnaby on Sunday. Game time for Sunday’s match is 7 p.m.