Randy Crouse is paying it forward. And Antigonish is better for it.
Crouse has been a long-time volunteer in the community and the face of Antigonish Challenger Baseball – an adaptive program he initiated seven years ago that provides an opportunity for children with cognitive or physical disabilities to play the game at a level structured to their abilities.
A 39-year-old native of Fort Ellis, Colchester County, Crouse played organized sports – mostly hockey and softball – while growing up, and felt it was his duty to give back and provide the same opportunities to kids that others gave him.
“I think it’s my responsibility now to do the same; that’s the way I look at it,” said Crouse, who has lived in Antigonish since 2007.
“Looking back, I think, ‘geez, I had a lot of opportunities.’ And as you grow up, it’s like, ‘I gotta give something back,’ because you have the knowledge, you have the experience, you might as well share that… I’d feel guilty not doing it.”
Rapid fire
- Name: Randy Crouse
- Where and when were you born? Dec. 11, 1980. Raised in Fort Ellis, N.S.
- What’s your favourite place in the world? Why? Any beach in Souris, P.E.I. – my wife’s hometown. There is something extremely peaceful about walking along the beach looking for sea glass. My son and I also recently started snorkeling – which I find very relaxing. My second choice would be at my in-law’s kitchen table playing cards.
- Who do you follow on social media? Toronto Blue Jays, Baseball Canada, MLB, Jays Care Foundation, Arash Madani, Gregor Chisholm, and Keegan Matheson.
- What would people be surprised to learn about you? I studied for a year abroad at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium.
- What’s been your favourite year and why? 2011 – Birth of my son, Gehrig.
- What is the hardest thing you’ve ever done? Being a parent.
- Can you describe one experience that changed your life? Signing up to be a volunteer with Acadia University’s SMILE Program. Everything in my life is linked in some way to my experiences with that program.
- What’s your greatest indulgence? I am a sucker for 90s country music. My wife and son do not approve.
Throughout his own playing days, Crouse was a high-level fastpitch softball player, who attended provincial, Eastern Canadian and national championships. He also played university baseball at Acadia. He says he lost his passion for sports in his mid-20s, however, that spark was rekindled a few years later with his involvement in Challenger Baseball.
“We have families and kids with various disabilities and just giving them the chance to play; we’re not worried about politics, or wins and losses, it’s just kind of sport at its purest form – just go out and grab a bat and a ball and play. It’s brought my enjoyment of coaching and my enjoyment of being involved in sports back, for sure.”
Crouse wears many hats with Challenger Baseball, as the local, provincial and national co-ordinator of the program. The Antigonish program includes about 40 players and an equal number of volunteer ‘buddies’ who assist them, including his nine-year-old-son Gehrig.
“Gehrig had no interest in ball, but he really enjoyed being a buddy,” said Crouse. “In the end, it’s even better; I’m so much happier watching him help other kids than just playing himself. It just kind of worked out and I’m proud to see him do that.”
Crouse, a registered nurse at St. Martha’s Regional Hospital, has helped the game grow to include about 300 participants in Nova Scotia and 8,000 throughout Canada. Recognizing the need for an accessible field in Antigonish, he spearheaded a fundraising effort about five years ago for the construction of a facility. Last summer, ‘The Sandlot’ became a reality, opening next to Dr. J.H. Gillis high school.
“Outside of getting married or seeing my kid born, that’s probably the happiest I’ve ever been with anything,” said Crouse.
Antigonish Challenger Baseball was ready to kick off its seventh season this summer, however, it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Crouse says his passion for volunteering can be traced to his days at Acadia during the early 2000s. While there, he became involved with the university’s Sensory Motor Instructional Leadership Experience (SMILE) Program, which offers people with varying disabilities a unique physical activity experience in order to improve their development as individuals.
“It’s just one of those things that’s just an awesome experience,” he said.
“I really enjoyed that, and all the opportunities I had after university were really linked to the SMILE program and the people I met through that.”
Did you know?
Randy is a baseball history buff. He and his wife Laura named their son Gehrig after MLB Hall of Famer and Yankee great, Lou Gehrig.
“The plan, if we had another kid and it was a girl, was to name her Ruth. And then we’d have Gehrig and Ruth,” said Crouse.
As past-president of Antigonish minor baseball, Crouse was instrumental in keeping the game alive locally. Because of time commitments with Challenger Baseball, he stepped aside from minor ball and handed the reins to the current president and friend Kris Hunter.
“Randy’s a tremendous asset to the community here in Antigonish,” said Hunter. “He’s just such a giving and caring person. Of course, he works as a nurse and he’s on the front lines and certainly doing all the good that front-line workers are doing at this point in time.
“He’s had a tremendous impact on our community locally, always reaching out for individuals. He hears a kid’s sick, he’ll pull together a fundraiser and help families out in times of need. He just doesn’t think of himself. He’s just such a giving and wonderful individual.”
And while Crouse may be the face of Challenger Baseball, he is quick to praise the efforts of the entire community that helps make it a success.
“The community’s been fantastic to embrace it,” he said. “My titles sound good there, but we have 70 volunteers with Challenger Baseball (in Antigonish). I have to tip my hat to all the awesome volunteers because without them I don’t have any of these titles and there is no Challenger Baseball.
“There’s so many awesome people here in Antigonish and across Nova Scotia and Canada that are putting in hours and hours of time to make Challenger Baseball work. It’s been a really cool experience.”
