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Sports Oakville Beaver By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 255) Fax 905-337-5567 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2007 31 A league for the Average Joe Co-ed adult sports club focuses on fun, fellowship It may never produce a world champion, but that's just fine with Tim Ferris. The name of his club should say it all. Ferris started The Average Joe Sports Club with the intention of giving everyone an opportunity to win just by allowing them to spend time with friends, get some exercise and, above all, have some fun. The club started in April offering three sports -- soccer, three-pitch and ultimate Frisbee -- and just wrapped up its spring season last week. The three co-ed adult sports leagues had 160 players registered, forming 14 teams. Soccer proved to be the most popular sport with a sixteam league. That came as a bit of a surprise to Ferris because "soccer was the one sports I didn't really have a connection with." The less-structured format proved to be a hit, however. Games are played with six players per side across the width of the field with portable nets and no goalies. The other leagues also offer a less intense alternative to many other leagues. Teams play once each week and all games are self-officiated with the emphasis on enjoyment of activity, spending times with friends and co-workers and meeting new people. "We want people to play the way you like them to in a recreational league," Ferris said. "There are no pro scouts. The prizes for winning are Tshirts and gift certificates. It's a nice bonus, but the real reason to play is to have fun." To ensure that teams remember that philosophy, each team is awarded spirit points by the opposing team after each game. The team accumulating the most points at the end of the season receives a spirit award. With a network of friends from Hamilton to Mississauga, Ferris knew there was a need for such a league in Burlington and Oakville. "I've been playing sports all my life and I worked for a similar club in Toronto," Ferris said. "I thought, this is something I could do on my own." The biggest challenge proved to be securing fields for the leagues. "It's always a challenge," Ferris said. "There's a short supply and a high demand." The softball league ran out of Langtry Park in Oakville, while soccer and ultimate Frisbee were played at Trinity Christian School in Burlington. Players may register individually or entire teams may be entered. Individual entrants will be grouped together to form teams. Ferris will offer the same three sports in the summer season (July-August), then hopes to expand in the fall, depending on demand, to include volleyball, floor hockey, dodgeball and three-on-three basketball. Other sports remain a possibility as well. "If I get requests, I'll always look into it. I'll do whatever they want as long as the demand is there," he said. There are still openings for both teams and individuals for the summer season. Players or teams can register at www.averagejoesports.ca. ADULT SPORTS CLUB: Tim Ferris displays equipment used in the three sports his new club, The Average Joe Sports Club, offered during the recentlyconcluded spring season. Ferris began the co-ed adult club in the hopes of providing an opportunity for people to spend time with friends, get some exercise and have fun. The club will once again offer threepitch, soccer and ultimate Frisbee in the summer season (July-August) and could potentially feature volleyball, floor hockey, dodgeball and three-on-three basketball in the fall. KAREN NEWMAN / OAKVILLE BEAVER Buzz faces must-win scenario tonight By Eamonn Maher SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER EAMONN MAHER / SPECIAL TO THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IN CHECK: Oakville Buzz player Ethan O'Connor (right) closely guards Halton Hills Bulldogs' Kyle Davis Wednesday in Georgetown. GEORGETOWN -- Separated by just two points in the final Ontario Lacrosse Association's junior B regular-season standings, there hasn't been much to choose from between the Oakville Buzz and the Halton Hills Bulldogs in the first two games of their opening-round playoff series -- until the third period rolls around. The fifth-place Bulldogs can eliminate the defending Founders Cupchampion Buzz tonight at the Glen Abbey Recreation Centre (an 8 p.m. start) after grabbing a 2-0 lead in the best-of-5 matchup with a 10-7 win Wednesday in Georgetown. In each of the first two games, the 14-4-2 Buzz has battled the 14-6-0 `Dogs evenly throughout the first 40 minutes, only to see the game slip away in the final frame. Oakville actu- the situation we're in," said Ruys, who ally held a 7-5 lead late in the second scored Oakville's first two goals in period of Wednesday's tilt, but was shut Game 2. out in the final period for the second "(The Bulldogs) have a few returnconsecutive game. ing players and you can see it in their Oakville captain Josh eyes that they're deterRuys said that a lack of "You can see it in mined and that they hate junior B experience and their eyes that us. I guess that's when conditioning issues are they're determined you know you have a likely the reasons for his and that they hate good rivalry going." team's third-period let- us. I guess that's If a fourth game is downs. The Buzz hasn't required, it will be played been able to secure as when you know Sunday at Georgetown's much arena time as it you have a good Mold-Masters SportsPlex, would like for practice, rivalry going." beginning at 8 p.m. and, if the series is pushed Josh Barrick had two to a fifth and deciding Josh Ruys goals and an assist to lead game, the time and locathe Buzz attack tion of that game have yet to be deter- Wednesday. Connor Gamble, Ryan mined. Abu-Ali and Harry Hristopoulos added "We are a younger team, but we def- singles, while Spencer Taugher and initely have the talent it takes to come Braden Gallant recorded two helpers back and I think the guys realize now each. www.icesports.com 905-845-6989