Over the next few days, the communities of Winkler and Morden are going to be flooded with talented ball players, their coaches, and their family's, making the U15 Fastpitch Canadian Championships a memorable experience for everyone.
The honour of hosting
Co-chair of the host committee, Tara Pettinger, is very proud of the work that many have put in leading up to the big day today, and details what's been going on to get ready. "We found out late last fall that we were awarded these championships," Pettinger says from the diamonds. "That's a pretty tight timeline, comparative for national championships that a host committee would normally get. Luckily, we have this amazing committee that really got on board. It's kind of a representation of our Central Region Softball, which is the overlying host, which is home to the AA Central Charge, and the AAA Central Energy, who is the host team."
Welcoming many, many guests
Between the male and female championships, Pettinger says there will be a lot of people coming to the area. "We have 21 female teams joining us from coast to coast, and nine male teams. So, it's really, really exciting and a good showcase of the male sport, because we don't have a host team, it's great for the region to just come out and watch, maybe growing male fast pitch in our region, as well."
All the people coming, the players, coaches, supporter, and fans, it's all a big boost for the community, according to Pettinger. "We're going to have close to 500 athletes, and we know with athletes, there also comes coaches, managers, parents and grand parents, those types of things. We know the ball diamonds will be packed, we know the communities of Winkler and Morden will be packed, and we've already seen it, we've had teams come for practices, so we've had a chance to chat with teams, and it's been amazing to see the smiles on their faces. Not just them, but parents and siblings, they're really loving what they've seen so far, they're all so excited to be here. These athletes have worked so hard to get to this point, to earn the privilege to come to these championships, and we're so excited to host them."
Local fans encouraged to make some noise
The level of competition over the next few days is going to be second to none, and Pettinger hopes many will come cheer on the Energy, but also all the other teams, because the Pembina Valley simple loves the game. "This is going to be the best U15 fast pitch in the country. These are the best teams. We encourage everyone to come out, there's a lot of excitement, and a lot of pride amongst these teams. We couldn't do this event without leaning heavily on local volunteers, so throughout the central region, we've had so many volunteers come forward. We know they'll be doing shifts, then catching some games, hopefully bringing some family and friends along. Everyone in the community, please come check it out, this is going to be an absolutely amazing event."
Pettinger says they're in good shape volunteer numbers. "I think we're pretty set, we may have some pieces here and there, but I think we're in good shape," she says with a thankful grin. "We're ready to hit the ground running (today). Our schedules are pretty full, and again, that was a ton of shifts, relying on a lot of people coming forward. We had our volunteer pep rally, the volunteers got their training, they're hyped, they got their t-shirts, so it's really exciting from top to bottom, for everyone involved."
Spotlighting local athletes
This is a bit opportunity for many, especially the players, as they continue to be pillars for the community, and role models for younger players. "These girls and boys, they might be thinking about other opportunities down the road, once they're done playing in their respective minor programs, they may want to go play for a school, or something like that. Lots of hopes and dreams out there. It's also neat, we have local bat girls assigned to all the different teams, and I was talking to one, she's joining her team for team meals, going ziplining, and things like that. It's special that these teams are embracing the young, local bat retrievers, and they're going to have the experience of a lifetime. There's so much energy and excitement, it's really amazing."
Information and details
When it comes to finding out information, Pettinger says it's very simple. "Anyone and everyone is encouraged to check out U15 Women's and U15 Men's for details and times. When you arrive at the door, we have a QR code, it's super easy, scan it, get your tickets, get your wrist band, and you're in. You can buy an event pass, or buy per day. Come check out some games. We have five diamonds going in Winkler, and one going in Morden. There's lots of opportunity to check out some elite level ball."
"We're going to enjoy every moment of it," Pettinger says with a proud, warm tone. "We'd love to see everyone come out to the diamond."