Chris Balison hopes to take the success he's had growing baseball in Kamloops and spread it across the country (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Chad Klassen

CHRIS BALISON

After helping Kamloops baseball grow, Balison hopes to expand the game nationally

Jan 20, 2022 | 3:27 PM

KAMLOOPS — Chris Balison’s batting average — if you looking at recruiting new ballplayers in Kamloops — is out of the park.

Balison took over as president Kamloops Minor Baseball in 2014 and registration numbers nearly doubled prior to the pandemic.

“We had about 450 kids playing baseball in Kamloops seven or eight years ago. In 2019, we were set to have over 700 athletes, 150 coaches in Kamloops Minor Baseball,” said Balison. “Of course, the pandemic wreaked a bit of havoc on that. The good work the group is doing now will repair some of that.”

Balison, who’s just wrapping up as president of Baseball BC, is trying to take that success at the plate to the national stage. He’s now the new president of Baseball Canada.

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“It’s certainly going to be a new experience for me, an exciting one, with [now former president] Jason Dixon at the helm as CEO and has that international experience and having been to the Olympics himself,” he noted. “I’m going to look to him to help guide this organization and the operations of Baseball Canada. I really look forward to the experience.”

He says there are already programs in place at the national organization, including the Rally Cap Initiative Program that will be relaunched. It’s in partnership with the Toronto Blue Jays that gives kids an introduction to baseball.

“You might see kids this year with [Blue Jays] caps walking around the city with the Baseball Canada logo on there as well. The Rally Cap programs are initiation programs to the sport. It gives the players small groups. They work on their fundamental skills. It’s not a lot of standing around like when maybe you or I played T-ball that many years ago. This is a active program that gives the fundamental skills of throwing, receiving and running.”

Balison would also oversee the national team and junior squad, which has involvement from Kamloops NorthPaws manager Cole Armstrong.

“This year [he’s] been involved with our head coach, coaching in the junior national team program, and giving that a presence across Canada will also raise the level of the game and have those teenagers across the country aspire to play with Canada across their chest,” said Balison.