In their first season as Bantam A ball players, two local 16-year-old girls will be travelling to Victoria at the end of the month to take part in the 2010 Bantam Girls Canadian Fastpitch Championship from July 31 to Aug. 4.
Because no bantam girls baseball team was formed in or around St. Paul this season, Shelbi Roy and Jenelle Collins decided to commit themselves to a team outside the area – the St. Albert Angels. Last year, both girls played with the Lakeland Panthers, a C level team.
After a rather successful, but rainy, season this year, the girls found themselves competing at provincials in Leduc earlier this month, where the team placed second, edged out by the Calgary Rockies.
“They beat us by one run, and we were winning the entire time,” says Collins, who plays second base and right field. Although the team didn’t come in first at provincials, the girls still managed to qualify for nationals, which will be a first-time experience for both Collins and Roy.
Overall, the 2010 season “was really fun, and we did well,” says Collins, adding, “We’re all committed to (the team).” And that commitment should come in handy when the team travels to Victoria for nationals.
Collins admits that she had high hopes at the beginning of the season, but realizes “you can’t guarantee anything.” Now that the team has qualified for nationals, “it feels great,” says Collins.
Roy, who is a back catcher and has been playing ball for about 10 years, explains that most of the players on the team are second-year bantam players, so the goal at the beginning of the season was to reach nationals. Roy is adamant about acknowledging last year’s Lakeland Panthers’ coach Lorne Buryn, for helping Roy and Collins play a higher level of ball. Roy is also thankful to her St. Albert coaches who have also been very committed this season.
As for Collins, she is thankful to both sets of parents for also being committed to the team, and for “driving us everywhere.” Collins and Roy had to travel to St. Albert at least a couple times a week this season, and also made their way to tournaments across the province, and beyond, on weekends.
The local Elks branch has also been supportive and recently donated $1,000 to the team to help cover the expenses associated with travelling to nationals.
In preparation for the upcoming national tournament, the St. Albert Angels will continue to practice, and players will work with a coach who helps players prepare mentally for games, says Roy.
“We’re going to do our best and hopefully do Alberta proud,” she adds.
Regardless of how the St. Albert Angels do in Victoria, it’s obvious that Collins will continue to play ball. After being involved in the sport for eight years, it has become something she truly enjoys.
“I love the sport; it’s so much fun.”
Other teams competing at the national competition include the host team – the Victoria Devils – two more teams from B.C., another Albertan team, a team from Saskatchewan, two Manitoba teams, two Ontario teams, and two teams from Quebec.