Many sporting organisations and bodies would not be around if it weren’t for the hard work put in from the countless number of volunteers, who perform many behind the scenes tasks that others as casual observers and spectators often take for granted. The recipient of Baseball Victoria’s Volunteer of the Year Award, Tony Cornish of the Essendon Baseball Club, has juggled the life of dedicated family man and the role of President at the club to a high degree, only highlighted by the success of the club on and off the diamond.
The award presented at Baseball Victoria’s Awards Night last Thursday aims to bring attention to the lifeblood of the baseball community and showcase the enormous degree of jobs performed by volunteers every weekend.
Cornish says that while the award is a great recognition, it’s not the reason why volunteers give up their time towards the sport.
“We don't do it for [the awards] as the karma is enough. By volunteering you learn lots of lessons, it enables you to grow and build great friendships. It’s my happy place and I am grateful for the opportunity to lead such a great club,” Cornish said.
“When help is provided to me, I know I am leading the club well as people want to come for the ride. Creating opportunities for others and investing in them gives them the drive to support me and vice versa.”
He, along with the rest of the committee at Essendon have initiated a variety of drives that involve charities and foundations such as their recent Pitch for PWS (Prader-Willi Syndrome) held in February. Cornish says the moments where he can give back to the community are most special.
“We must give to the community and this is where I am most proud. We are a family and families make communities and we must give back. We want to be a leader in all areas of the game, not just on the field. This gives great purpose for our members both playing and non-playing,” Cornish said.
The club is constantly working on new events, fundraisers and more that bring people together for great causes.
“At Essendon Baseball Club we have overseas coaching opportunities, mindfulness courses, a give-blood campaign and a Salvation Army Christmas drive. These are all factors for members to want to be involved in something more than just on field,” Cornish added.
“My contribution to our game is a small way of me saying ‘thank you.’”
Baseball is always a high priority in Cornish’s life as he’s played, coached and umpired among his committee work, but he admitted that his ability to be organised and have trusted support, most of which comes from his wife, was a key contributor to his focus on the club.
“We have a motto that everyone does their "1/9th" so the beauty is I don't have to do everything as the work load is well shared among all club members. This is not just a catchphrase but a reality,” Cornish said. “I am very focused and truly believe we as a club can have everything we want, and I strive to achieve this daily. Without my wife's support and all Essendon Baseball Club members doing their 1/9th, I couldn't do it nor would I want to.”
With family being a large part of Cornish’s life, the significance of his dedication to baseball was brought upon a time when he was younger and had his father, a life member of two baseball clubs, acting as a liaison to his spirited ambitions.
Cornish says that “as a young person… [baseball] saved (his) life” as he was headed down a dark path, which the sport protected him from.
“I always wanted to be good at the game. My dad…always said ‘Son, you get more out of it than you put in’. These words always stayed true in my mind and he was right. My contribution to our game is a small way of me saying ‘thank you’”.
As the President of Essendon Baseball Club, he was delighted to witness success on the field throughout the Victorian Summer Baseball League season, especially when their Women’s Division 1 team won the Grand Final against Springvale, a team they hadn’t beaten all season and lost quite heavily to in most matchups between them.
“I couldn't be prouder. On field our ones struggled a bit, but the club never pointed fingers, nor did we drop our head and hard work got us through. The club rallied to move rooms and that was seamless,” Tony said. “The girls’ championship was one of the most amazing things I have witnessed in baseball and we also won the flag in the fourths which I played in and is our first on record. It was one of my best years, better than some of those where our ones won the flags or we won club championships.”
Essendon was once heralded by Inside Sports magazine in 2015 as the best sporting club in Australia, an accolade that meant the world to him and the club. The club is on track to continue going from strength to strength.
“The success of our women's program is certainly something that we didn’t have then and now with new rooms, a gym and indoor facility on the way, and the Chris Lane field…I believe we are a better club now than then. In 2021 we also hope to have playing lights, so the opportunities for our club in the future is very exciting,” Cornish said.
“Off field we were amazing with all our social efforts, fund raising, sponsorships, and charity work. Nothing will stop us growing and continuing to lead the way in grass roots sports. Success is measured in many different ways.”