Matt Betts - December 29, 2005
Matt Betts is a 13-year-old student from Greenbrier School who has been playing his favourite sport of baseball since 1997. In 2002 and 2003 he played for the Brantford Minor Softball Association's Wildcats select team. In 2002 Matt helped his team finish the season winning a bronze medal at the Ontario Provincial Fast Pitch Championships. He was recognized for his outstanding play that year when he received an MVP award at a tournament in Lynden.
Matt has played for the Brantford Jr. Red Sox PeeWee AAA baseball team since 2004 and helped his team finish in first place in the Tier 1 Inter-county League and second in the Ontario Baseball Association's AA Championships that season.
In 2005 Matt's team topped an incredible 2004 season by winning three tournaments, finishing second in two others, finishing first in their Inter-county Tier 1 League standings, and winning gold at the Provincial AAA Championships. He was thrilled to be one of the 'Magnificent Seven' pitchers featured in the Expositor in July for their perfect game against Kitchener during the team's regular season. He was also outstanding in the positions of pitcher, third base and left field.
Matt has been very active in sports at Greenbrier Public School, in grade seven his intermediate basketball team won the Brant County Championships; recently his co-ed intermediate soccer team won the Brant County Championships and he has been playing on the intermediate three-pitch team for two years, helping them make it to the semi-finals both years.
Matt has been running track and field since he was in grade four, with his specialty events being the 400m and the 4x100m relay races. In October 2005 Matt won his school's Terry Fox Run and ended up gaining much more than the top spot – he is determined to learn more about the man who inspired this annual race. Matt is also on the Greenbrier senior boys volleyball team, and is in the middle of his weekly winter baseball school workouts, that began in November and finish in April 2006.
Matt is not only an exceptional athlete; he is also a dedicated and hardworking straight-A student, currently in grade 8. He is a school safety patroller and has volunteered countless hours at several tournaments hosted by Brantford Minor Baseball.
Matt demonstrates incredible respect for other players, coaches, officials and his parents; he is an exceptional athlete and person.
Congratulations Matt, and good luck! |
