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Series: Meet the leaders at the PBA
First up: John Smeelen, President
At the Pickering Baseball Association, we spend a lot of time with our coaches and teammates during the Baseball season. But did you know that the PBA works year-round for our players? During the off-season, we are busy with Indoor Training, Coaches Clinics, community participation and much more!
If you’ve played ball for Pickering, you’ll probably seen a few of these individuals around, but may not know much about them. So, we wanted to take the opportunity to properly introduce a few members of the Leadership Team at PBA!
First up, we have John Smeelen.
What is your role with the PBA?
I am currently President and also serve as the Equipment Manager for the association.
What makes you great at this role?
I am a certified coach with Ontario Baseball Association and I have 30 years of experience both playing, coaching and leading the association. But most importantly, I’m focused on excelling at the basics, and having fun.
When you’re not at the PBA, what’s your day job?
I’m a Project Manager for an electric company.
And when you’re not working there, OR with the PBA, what else do you do in your free time?
My most important job – spending time with my grandkids!
What is your vision for the 2022 season?
The pandemic has hit organized sports hard in the last 2 years. We look forward to welcoming people back this year, and growing the number of teams through new registrations. I also look forward to working with the kids on developing the basics of baseball. I love to watch them grow and learn new skills.
What advice do you have for players or parents?
I hope that parents will continue to cheer their children on and encourage them. I want players to learn to love and enjoy the game, win or lose.
What would people be surprised to learn about you?
I’m also a past president of the Eastern Ontario Baseball Association (EOBA).
You can reach John by email at president@pickeringbaseball.ca
Are you interested in playing with John, and all the other incredible coaches at the PBA? Registration for 2022 is now open. Click here to register and play!
Stay tuned for more profiles from the dedicated volunteers at the PBA.
If you’ve played ball for Pickering, you’ll probably seen a few of these individuals around, but may not know much about them. So, we wanted to take the opportunity to properly introduce a few members of the Leadership Team at PBA!
First up, we have John Smeelen.
What is your role with the PBA?
I am currently President and also serve as the Equipment Manager for the association.
What makes you great at this role?
I am a certified coach with Ontario Baseball Association and I have 30 years of experience both playing, coaching and leading the association. But most importantly, I’m focused on excelling at the basics, and having fun.
When you’re not at the PBA, what’s your day job?
I’m a Project Manager for an electric company.
And when you’re not working there, OR with the PBA, what else do you do in your free time?
My most important job – spending time with my grandkids!
What is your vision for the 2022 season?
The pandemic has hit organized sports hard in the last 2 years. We look forward to welcoming people back this year, and growing the number of teams through new registrations. I also look forward to working with the kids on developing the basics of baseball. I love to watch them grow and learn new skills.
What advice do you have for players or parents?
I hope that parents will continue to cheer their children on and encourage them. I want players to learn to love and enjoy the game, win or lose.
What would people be surprised to learn about you?
I’m also a past president of the Eastern Ontario Baseball Association (EOBA).
You can reach John by email at president@pickeringbaseball.ca
Are you interested in playing with John, and all the other incredible coaches at the PBA? Registration for 2022 is now open. Click here to register and play!
Stay tuned for more profiles from the dedicated volunteers at the PBA.