A Legacy of Service to Baseball and the Community

For the most recent generation of Abbotsford Angels baseball players, the summer season begins with trips to Cloverdale over the Canada Day weekend for the Boulanger Tournament. What some of our players and their families may not realize is that we in Abbotsford have strong connection to John Boulanger, for whom the Tournament is named..  This year Jimmy Boulanger on the Mosquito A Angels followed in the footsteps of big brother John in playing in the tournament named for his Grandfather.  Jimmy and John’s Dad, Todd, who has coached many different teams and also serves on the AAHA Executive in Coaching Development, grew up playing baseball in Cloverdale. After eventually moving to Abbotsford to raise his family with his wife, Sarah, he would end up back at Cloverdale Ballpark, coaching in the Tournament named for his Dad.

As Todd tells it, “When another  coach decided to quit, my Dad was the one that stepped up and coached. He coached me in my earlier years but stopped when it got a little more serious.”   But that wasn’t the extent of his volunteering.  He found other ways to contribute. “He was constantly at the field hours before the game cutting grass, edging the field, liming the field etc. He and another dad would be sitting at the park drinking coffee waiting for teams to arrive so they could see their reaction to the design in the infield they made with the mower. Years after I left Cloverdale he would still go down to the Ballpark to watch games.”

What a great legacy of service to his community and to the game of baseball for all kids. Clearly that was passed on from father to son, grandkids and on into future generations.

In Abbotsford we look forward to working together to build this game for the kids in our community.  Sports are a wonderful vehicle for the development of so many positive things in the lives of our children and in the strength of our communities. The vital role of dedicated volunteers cannot be overstated.