HALDIMAND—The U15 Haldimand Bulls are headed to Ajax, Ontario this August to compete in the Eastern Canadians, an inter-provincial tournament that will pit them against teams from Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and Ontario.
The Bulls are a rep-level fastpitch club with teams in the U11, U13, and U15 divisions of the OASA (Ontario Amateur Softball Association).
Co-coach Matt Hartwick shared, “This team is a great group of local kids. We’ve got kids from Fisherville, Hagersville, Cayuga, and Jarvis mostly.”
While the team has competed in several tournaments this year, it was their fifth place (out of 14 teams) finish at the U15 OASA Eliminations Tournament in Napanee that earned them their ticket to the Eastern Canadians.
Team parent Chuck Gibbons praised standout player Harmon Hartwick, a left-handed pitcher who “played a pivotal role throughout the tournament.”
“Hartwick’s performance caught the attention of other teams, and he has since been invited to join the Tavistock Athletics for the Canadian National Championships, scheduled for August 13-17 in Winkler, Manitoba,” said Gibbons.
Despite the four days separating the two tournaments, Gibbons confirmed that Hartwick will be there with the Bulls as well for the Eastern Canadians, taking place August 21-24 this year.
Gibbons called the Eastern Canadians appearance a key milestone the team has been striving toward since founding, thanking the dedicated coaches, parents, and wider community for supporting the players on the journey so far.
“Now that dream is becoming a reality,” he said.
“We’re super excited. It’s really great for the boys to be able to go out there and play against teams from different provinces,” said Hartwick. “We’re really happy that the hard work is paying off…. There’s a bright future for a lot of local kids to do really well in this sport.”
In preparation for the Eastern Canadians, Hartwick said the team has been working on learning from their mistakes on the diamond but not fixating on them.
“For kids that are 14-15 years old, it’s a real struggle sometimes to be able to pick it up after making an error or making a mistake, brushing it off and forgetting about it, and continuing on. It’s a real skill and it’s something we’ve been concentrating on this year,” said Hartwick.
To help offset travel and tournament costs, the team is hosting two fundraising events: a freewill offering at the Jarvis Tim Hortons on Saturday, August 9 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., and a 50/50 draw at the U13 OASA Provincial Championship Tournament, hosted by the U13 team from August 9-10 in Jarvis and Fisherville.
Additionally, anyone who wants to make a straight donation to the team is encouraged to do so by sending an email to the team at haldimandbulls@gmail.com.
In addition to the parents and players, Hartwick cited the support of local community groups, like the Jarvis, Hagersville, and Fisherville Lions, for backing the team.
“They really make it more affordable and feasible for us to get where we need to go. Without their support it would be a lot harder,” he said.
Fans of the team can follow along with their progress on the team’s Facebook page or watch a live feed throughout the tournament on the Game Changer App by searching ‘U15 Haldimand Bulls 2025.’
It’s a worthwhile and entertaining game to follow.
“This type of ball, especially these last couple tournaments, everybody’s been on the edge of their seat every pitch,” said Hartwick. “Everybody is just super excited and ready to go to help out with whatever the team needs, depending on the score, the situation, if we have injuries, that type of thing. It’s really exciting.”
