The NPC Nighthawks are starting provincials today and head coach Kerwin Froese believes his team can do something special at the big tournament.
A lot of hard work goes into getting to provincials and Froese says there's a lot of excitement heading into the event. "Well, it's very exciting," the coach says with a smile. "The season has been building up to these provincials. We were very successful at our Zone 4 championship, it was a repeat from last year and we built on that success from last year. We're looking forward to it, we have lots of athletes that experienced it last year, we took on a few new ones and we're excited to get back into the ring and represent our school."
Froese says there's a lot to like about how his team is playing right now but he focused on a couple of key areas. "We're really growing as a team, we're gelling really well. We've built our skills and our confidence throughout the year with success, especially in Zones, that really helped us. We've been working on defense a little bit, trying to tighten our game up and also on offense, our hitting so we if we get into a tough spot, we can feel confident getting a few runs or getting people on base."
On top of the skill, Froese believes this group being as close as they are has also played a role in the team success. "The athletes, our girls are very good about chilling. They are a very good team to coach, they are able to dig in and learn, push themselves during practices, but when we're ramping up or before a practice, they are very chill. They love to joke around and have a good time. You can tell they're enjoying their time, they love to play ball but when it's time to get our game faces on, they are a fierce lookin bunch and it's great to see."
A big take away for Froese is that the girls are building life long friendships through sport, something that the coach values highly. "It's fantastic to see them just have great life experiences in sport. Sports are a great vehicle for experiencing the ups and downs, things can be emotional but you can build friendship through experience, especially tough ones. It's great to see the growth and often these friendships developed will carry on through life and it's fantastic."
Having support around the team has also been something Froese has appreciated and notes the team wouldn't be where they are without that support. "We have great fan support and we have parents that come out every game, especially visiting games. Just when you think games are to far away or day games, parents show up, they take time off and make it a priority. They're cheering the whole team on and it's amazing. They are willing to help, they're always offering whether it's water or score keep, parents inform each other on an app, it's just a very invested community around this team and it's special, that's for sure."
As they are set to embark on provincials, Froese says he will be taking some time to appreciate this group in particular. "It is a big accomplishment just to get to provincials and to see the best of what Manitoba has to offer all in one area, it's very exciting. If you love ball, you're in for some great competition, incredible athletes and they're all battling for that one prize. It's a great experience for a coach to see it all happening and at the core of it, it's incredible kids having fun."