From the ISC:

Last August, Colin Smith, ISC Commissioner in Ontario since 2003, gave notice of his resignation following the 2008 World Tournament in Kimberly. Colin is hoping to continue serving the Ontario Fastball League in whatever capacity is needed. We thank Colin for his years of service to both the game and the ISC.

To replace Colin in Ontario, we are pleased to announce that Rick Boyd has agreed to serve as a Regional Commissioner. Rick is well known to most fastball players and fans. He has played the game since age 9 and has been actively involved as a player, coach, administrator and tournament director. Rick served as the tournament director for all three Kitchener hosted ISC II championships in 2002, 2006 and 2007.

He began playing at age 9. At age 14 he began playing in the Kitchener Men’s Fastball League and has played in that league for 35-consecutive years. He served as league president from 1992 – 1997.

Over the years, he has been associated with K-W Pride, Waterloo Classics (Masters team) and most recently with the Bridgeport Braves who served as Host Team in both 2006 & 2007 ISC II Tournament of Champions.

Rick has been married to Debbie for 26 years and they have a 19-year old daughter, Stephanie. He is employed by Guillevin International (Electrical Distributors) in Guelph, ON as a branch manager.

Rick is highly respected in fastball circles for his dedication, work ethic, experience and love of the game. The ISC is happy to welcome Rick as a valued addition to the ISC.

Ken Hackmeister
Exec. Dir, ISC

Editor’s note: We congratulate Rick Boyd on the new position — and the ISC for choosing an outstanding person for the job. Rick was the driving force behind the back-to-back T of C’s in 2006 and 2007 in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, two of the most successful and well received T of C’s ever. (Rick was also tournament director for the event in its inaugural year, 2002)

Rick’s team, the Bridgeport Braves served as the host teams for the tournaments, showing equal doses of talent and class in the events. It was Rick and the Braves who extended their gracious hospitality to the California Lumberkings, in 2006, the first California team to ever compete in the T of C. The teams wound up exchanging gear, beer and friendship that first year, with the Lumberkings returning in 2007 to capture second place in the prestigious event. The Lumberkings shared their stories of the 2006 T of C, inspiring another California team, A-1 Taylor Farms to travel to Kitchener in 2007, where they took 3rd place, edged out of the title game by in-state rivals, the Lumberkings.

Those two years of stewardship by Rick Boyd generated more interest in the ISC II T of C, and in 2008, three California teams competed, including the Lumberkings — who won the tournament in their third try, along with the River City Rockers and Rude Pac, both of whom advanced to the playoff round. Rick’s hard work in Kitchener furthered the development of the tournament, which will host a record forty (40) teams in 2009.