The 71st annual Clearwater Ball Tournament was a hit on Canada Day.

There were baseball and softball teams of all ages, and one of the directors for the Clearwater Sports Club, Jackie Johnson, says many people left with smiles on their faces. She says they weren't sure what to expect initially.

"We were a little nervous trying to get the tournament back running after COVID. We were hoping we would have a good amount of interest," Johnson explains. "We tried getting the word out there in good time and contacting some former teams who have come before. We were actually really happy with the way things turned out."

Johnson says they had 866 people who paid to attend the event either as a spectator or a participant. She adds they felt some pressure to make this event successful and keep the tradition going as it brings a lot of business to the community, while also being a fun time. Johnson talks about how nice it was to have this event return.

"It was amazing because of the traffic of people coming into the park and people getting to see teammates or visitors that they hadn't seen in a couple of years. There were a lot of hugs," says Johnson. "It was a great atmosphere. It made us feel pretty good in Clearwater and very proud to be able to host it."

The event saw 27 teams take part, according to Johnson. She notes they are used to having around 40 squads in attendance but were happy with this number since it was the first tournament after COVID-19 and took place on a Friday.

The event organizer describes where the proceeds will be going.

"All the money generated from the day helps us with all of our recreation facilities in town. We have eleven baseball diamonds in the park too, so we have to hire someone to do all the mowing," Johnson continues. "If we need to prop up something in town like one of our businesses, that's what we use the money for."

Johnson calls the organizing group a 'well-oiled machine' after putting this event together for so many consecutive years, however, the one thing they hope for next time around is some more teams. She describes the importance of this event to them.

"We've really been trying to grow grassroots baseball for kids to keep them playing. It's really important to us to give the opportunity for kids to come out and play ball. A lot of times, it's finished when school is out. So, we like to give them one more weekend where they can play some ball and make some good memories with their friends."