Announcing The 2024 Haines Family Bursary Recipient

Owen played for the WMBA a total of 14 years, last playing for Mark Takahashi’s 18U T2 team. He has consistently exemplified the WMBA’s core values on and off the field. Owen is currently in his 1st year at the University of Guelph, enrolled in the Bachelor of Commerce in Sport Management (with co-op).



In Owen’s own words:

“The WMBA has meant a tremendous amount to me while growing up. I've met some of my best friends on my teams, and gained incredibly important lessons from great role models and experiences on the field. I've learned about passion, determination, teamwork, resilience, respect, and hard work through WMBA. I've been fortunate to have incredible community members, like Shawn Kloostra, Mark Takahashi, and Kyle McFarlane, share their passion for baseball, and show me what effective and ethical leadership looks like. 

I obtained my volunteer hours through WMBA activities; played on my high school varsity team (Donald A Wilson SS), making it to the OFSAA finals this last year which was very rewarding.
I know how it feels to win a championship game with a walk-off, but also know what it means to have someone sit beside you in silence when things didn't go as you hoped.

The WMBA has taught me an incredible amount, and I take all of these lessons with me as I move on to university. I know how to support others, take risks, and put the necessary work in to achieve an end goal. Baseball will always be an important part of my life, and I cannot wait to share the knowledge, passion and skills that were passed on to me from incredible people with future generations.”

Congratulations Owen! We wish you all the best on this new chapter at the University of Guelph.

*For more information on the Haines Family Bursary, please visit the WMBA website: http://whitbyminorbaseball.goalline.ca