Wind Ups – Team Building
School Groups – Corporate Outings
Family Outings – Parties
OUTDOOR
10 Acre Corn Maze with Scavenger Hunt
New Corn Cannon Target Shooting
Go-Carts
Human Foosball!
Hay Rides
Play Parks
Animals
Pumpkin Patch
Bush-trail
And so much more to discover....
INDOOR
The Black Hole Maze
9 Hole Mini Golf
Foosball Tables
Air-Hockey
Arcade Style Competition Shoot-out
Games
An actual Olympic Hockey Net
FOR THE YOUNGER KIDS
Battery Operated Quads
Mini Maze
TEPEE
Bouncers
VILLAGE
Kids Village
Fire pits and BBQs
are available to rent
DIRECTIONS
Only 1/2 hr from South Perim.
Follow Hwy 59 South, turn left on
Hwy 52 toward Steinbach
then Right on Blatz Rd.
CALL
(204) 346-4160 or (204) 377-4686
VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT
steinbachcornmazeandadventures
10 / sportslife
Ebb & Flow Star
Earns Spot on
Team Manitoba
By Scott Taylor, Photos by Jeff Miller
Brandon Racette can throw his fastball
better than 80-miles-per-hour. Not bad
for a young man who just turned 16. It’s
also not bad for a teenager who throws
six different pitches and is working on
three others.
Fact is, it would be hard to find a
kid in Manitoba so enamored with
baseball, so in love with the game,
that he plays on three teams and has
recently been named a starting pitcher
for Baseball Manitoba’s U-16 provincial
team.
For Brandon Racette, baseball is
pretty much everything.
“I grew up in Ebb & Flow First Nation
and lived there for eight years and then
moved to Dauphin and lived there
three years and started baseball there,”
Racette explained. “My coach there, Jeff
Hlady, was a good ballplayer and he
taught me lots of stuff.
“I just fell in love with baseball as
soon as I picked up the ball for the first
time. It just came natural for me to
pitch.”
And pitch he does. Team Manitoba
head coach Brian Ezako is thrilled
that Racette finds a way to drive to
Winnipeg from Ebb & Flow for both
games and practices. After all, Ezako
is trying to put the best possible team
on the field because his U-16 team will
be Manitoba’s 2015 Western Canada
Summer Games representative.
“When he first came out for the
team, he was a quiet, shy young man,”
said Ezako with a smile. “Coming out
now with a group of players from all
over Manitoba, it’s been quite an eyeopener for him and he’s just grabbed
the opportunity and learned so much
in such a short time.
“That’s the type of kid we just love
to have on this team. He’s a kid with
eagerness and willingness to learn.
When he’s out on the mound, he’s got
so much confidence and that’s what we
want from these kids: Go out there
and play with confidence in your
skills and the talent you bring to
the ballpark.
“Sure, It’s been a big learning curve
for Brandon, but he’s learned so much
since we first got him last September to
now, it’s been wonderful to have him as
part of this group.”
Racette, who just turned 16, is
finishing Grade 9 at Ebb & Flow School.
Still, he never misses practices and he
definitely never misses a game.
“Me and my dad and my siblings
drive into Winnipeg for all of these
Team ‘Toba games,” he said, “but we do
have family in Winnipeg so we’re not
paying money for hotels.”
Of course, his family – his biggest
group of supporters – drive him all over
the province to play. When you’re part
of four teams, there are a lot of road
games.
“I started playing with the (Ebb
& Flow) Lakers (of the Santa Clara
League) this year and I‘m easily the
youngest guy on the team,” he said
with a laugh. “I love playing with those
guys, they’re crazy and a lot of fun to be
around. They’re a fun group of guys.
“But I also play with a Dauphin team
and then a Triple A team, Parkland, and
then with Team ‘Toba. So I’m playing
for four teams this summer and I just
love it.”
As Ezako says, he wants confident
players who bring their skills to the
field for every game – and aren’t afraid
to use them.
“I have no fear,” Racette said. “I am
always confident that I’m going to
throw my strikes. I also play outfield,
when I have to, but my batting isn’t too
good. My pitching is really good and
Team Manitoba’s coaches wanted me
for my pitching so I’m here.
“My fastball is in the low 80s. My
favourite part of baseball is striking