Reg Banga was born on April 24, 1970 in Esterhazy, Saskatchewan. He was the youngest of five children born to Dorthy and Joe Banga. Reg grew up on the family farm and from a very early age he was helping his dad and older brother with all the farming activities.
Reg completed his elementary and high school education in Stockholm and graduated in 1988. Reg attended SIAST, Kelsey institute, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
Reg was enrolled in the recreational therapy diploma program.
Reg’s hockey days started as a toddler using a wooden spoon and a rolled up sock to play hockey in the kitchen. At the age of 4, he started playing minor hockey in Stockholm. He continued playing minor hockey through to Midget AA with the Esterhazy Flyers,
Another passion of Reg’s was softball. As a young boy, Reg always wanted to play ball, so his mother would make his sisters go and play catch with him. His sisters would deliberately throw the ball over his head, so he would have to run farther to go and get it. When he got tired of that, Reg would set up an old bed box spring against the barn and he would throw the ball against that so it would bounce back to him. There were times when he would hear his cousins Mark and Brian Banga, who lived a quarter mile down the road, playing catch and he would say “Mom! Mom! Can I go now?” Sometimes they would be barely off the field and Reg would be rolling into their yard with his petal bike, glove in hand. Reg started playing men’s fastball at the age of 12 for the Stockholm Pioneers. He thought he could try to steal his older brother’s position as a catcher…and he did!
It was just by chance that he found a SaskFirst softball application form in his phys. ed. teacher’s garbage can. Three local boys applied for tryouts and Reg was fortunate enough to make the SaskFirst team.
This is where his ball career was established.
In 1989, Reg played in the Jeux Canada Games in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan as a catcher and then moved onto the Team Canada Junior National Team and participated in World Junior Nationals in Prince Edward Island in July of 1989 where the team finished second.
Following the world juniors, Reg had a decision to make between a SJHL hockey opportunity and playing fastball in Australia. After considering his options, he moved to Australia where he spent the winters of 1989 and 1990. He was the catcher for Australia’s national championship team.
Reg always kept in touch with his Australian billet family and friends.
Upon his return from Australia, Reg played senior AAA men’s fastball with the Saskatoon Magic and Saskatoon All-O-Matics. The last fastball team Reg played for was the Camrose Merchants, who competed nationally.
In the fall of 1992, Reg was selected for the developmental camp for the Canadian National Senior Men’s Team.
Through all of Reg’s ball playing days throughout Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, Reg was very proud of his small town roots. He was very proud to say he was from Stockholm, Saskatchewan.
On January 2nd, 1993, Reg suffered a tragic accident during a senior hockey game in Stockholm that left him a quadriplegic. After leaving the Plains Health Center in Regina, he was a resident at the Wascana Rehab Center.
In 1996, Reg made his permanent home in Parkridge Center in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Even though he was unable to play the game he loved, he took part every year in the annual Reg Banga Early Bird Fastball Tournament.
He was able to attend the opening of the Reg Banga Sports Court in Stockholm, Saskatchewan.
Reg continued to enjoy watching ball and hockey games, but it was extremely important to him to be able to go to his nieces and nephews sports events and other activities. In conversation with Reg, he was always concerned about the wellbeing of family and friends. He always looked forward to travelling home. Reg was instrumental in helping to achieve a better life for him and his Parkridge family.
The Village of Stockholm honored Reg by naming their hall and hockey rink the Reg Banga Communiplex to honour him for all his athletic accomplishments.
If Reg were here, he would want to say thank you to everyone for all the help and support and for sharing in his life.
Reg passed away on March 27, 2011.