Baseball was a central part of Will Smith鈥檚 life.
鈥淗e was very involved with the game,鈥� said Kelly Parker, the president of North 91原创 Diamond Sports.
鈥淲ill was a true Little Leaguer.鈥�
Smith passed away at age 47 on Feb. 10, after a two-month battle with pancreatic cancer.
And this weekend will mark North 91原创 Diamond Sports鈥� first annual Will Smith Memorial baseball tournament, an icebreaker tournament for eight-year-olds.
The tournament is a celebration of all that Will embodied: competitiveness, sportsmanship, teamwork and fair play.
Smith played his youth baseball with Whalley and made it to the Little League World Series three times as a player, in 1978, 1981 and 1984.
North 91原创 already had the icebreaker tournament on the schedule, but when Williams passed away, Parker said it was an easy decision to rename it after such a dedicated coach and volunteer.
Smith had been an executive with NLDS for about six years, and also coached.
鈥淗e was very dedicated to the game,鈥� Parker said. 鈥淗e lived baseball, this was his thing.鈥�
He was described as having a larger than life persona who loved the game.
鈥淲ill鈥檚 dedication to the community was evident through all his years of coaching both boys and girls baseball,鈥� said the online tribute to Smith on the North 91原创 baseball website.
鈥淲ill strived to win but placed great value on not only players who possessed skill, but players who possessed heart.
鈥淲ill鈥檚 dedication to all that he did will be evident in the years to come by the players he coached throughout their baseball career.鈥�
He is survived by his wife Cathy, and their teenage children, daughter Devyn and son Logan.
The tournament gets underway on Friday and runs until Sunday.
The opening ceremonies will be on Saturday at noon at the George Zarrelli Diamond, and a presentation is scheduled to be made on behalf of Little League Canada to Smith鈥檚 family.
