Derek Brooks wears many hats. And usually, he can be found wearing them on the baseball field. Brooks is currently the President of the London and District Baseball Association (LDBA), Vice President for St. Thomas Minor Baseball, Vice President of the London Badgers Baseball Association, and Vice President of St. Thomas Tomcats Baseball.
But that’s not all. He’s Chair of the 2018 21u National Baseball Championship, Chair of the Trevor Barton Memorial London Badger Tournament, and a member of several committees within local baseball organizations. Meanwhile, Brooks is the Baseball Ontario representative for LDBA, and a coach for midget baseball in St. Thomas and at Central Elgin Collegiate High School in St. Thomas. Overall, he’s been an active coach for the past 15 seasons.
And, to be sure, baseball runs in the Brooks family. His oldest son, Matthew, plays for the St. Thomas Tomcats Junior AAA Baseball Team and is also the starting catcher for the St. Clair Saints College Baseball Team. Nicholas, his youngest son, is a member of the 18u Midget St. Thomas Cardinals baseball team and the Central Elgin HS Baseball team.
“My favorite moment was being able to coach both of my kids together – for the first time – on the Central Elgin High School team,” Brooks said. “And also coaching their teams when they won their first Ontario championships.”
And Derek’s wife is also involved in the game. Christina, his wife of 20 years, helps with various baseball events and can be seen cheering on their boys at the diamond.
Contributions by Derek Brooks
