SUNDRE – The Sundre U15-1 Stealers plan to make a run at provincials and will be competing in a Zone 2 qualifier for their chance.
Coach Tim Kennedy told the Albertan the squad is already on the list to go to playdowns, which he said take place later this month at a location yet to be determined.
“If we win that, we go on to provincials,” said Kennedy, adding provincials will be hosted in Wainwright on July 11-13.
This past Friday, June 6, the team was defeated on home turf against Rocky Mountain House in a well-played but tough match against a skilled pitcher and were then in Sylvan Lake early the next day for a four-team tournament.
“It was a good experience for the girls,” he said, adding they played three games and won one.
With the short season already whipping by, the coach said the team has a lot of good players.
“I’ve pretty much pinpointed where everybody’s their strongest,” he said, adding they have a solid infield as well as a couple of good pitchers.
“And we’re aggressive on the bases,” he said.
During practice, the coach said he strives to focus on having one-on-one discussions with players to talk about the strategies involved in the positions they play and what to do when the ball gets hit in their direction.
“I had couple of the parents come up to me and say that the girls have never had that before, and they’re really appreciating it,” he said.
Kennedy expressed a preference for calmly explaining what’s expected of players depending on the position they’re in.
“Coaches that scream and holler, (the players) remember them for a different reason,” he said.
The coach is also less concerned about final scores and more focused on making sure the players get a chance to learn a bit more about the sport.
Asked if there might be a core of players between the U15-1 and the U15-2 teams to form a U17 squad next season, he said it’s certainly possible.
This year, there were not enough players to field a U17 squad, so several of them ended up playing with the U15-1. That means they can’t play in events like the upcoming provincials and players from the U15-2 will be combined with U15-1 to field a team for provincials, he said.
