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The Eastman Wildcats programs are ready for another year and President Russ Kihn is looking forward to a big year for all the teams.
"Oh man, the weather gets you excited, right?" Kihn says ahead of his 8th season as a coach for a Wildcats team. "It's starting to get really nice here, a little earlier than in years past. The sun is out, the grass is out, it's starting to get really exciting."
Kihn says it's been amazing to see the response to the programs and the friendships that are built through sport. "It's actually the best part, seeing the kids make friendships for the rest of their lives and continue through. I started coaching seven years ago, this will be my eighth year, the girls I started coaching are graduating high school and they've been together for those six, seven years. They're friends in hockey and through ball, and hopefully they keep those friendships for the rest of their lives."
While he wasn't there at the very start of the Wildcats, Kihn is aware of the history and the growth over the years. "I wasn't there when it all got started, it was before I was involved, but from what I understand, there was an interest for a regional team in the area. They had a team or two to start, and then I believe we hosted the Manitoba Games, not when we hosted in 2016, but previous to that. From there, they decided to get it going a little more and they added age groups and it's just taken off."
The incredible athletes that have earned the opportunities to represent Manitoba at different levels has Kihn feeling very proud. "It's been really impressive how well some have done, how they've improved. We have seven athletes that will be getting the opportunity to represent Manitoba in Newfoundland at the Canada Games. Mostly U19 kids but we also have a U17 on that team. It's a major boost of pride for us, that we're able to give the girls that opportunity and produce that level of talent that can be noticed for big events like that."
On top of being President of the Wildcats, Kihn is also set to coach the U15 team this season, an age he says can be focused more on strategy as opposed to fundamentals. "It's a great age, a good age group. I've had a lot of them for a while, I think six I've coached for five years now, it's great to see their development and now we can work on the nuance of the game. They've worked really hard in U12 and U13 to develop the fundamentals and those skills, but now we can work on strategy. It's impressive to see that next level with them, what they see and how they catch on and figure out the details of the game. It's the best."
At the heart of the Wildcats, it's dedication and not just from the players, Kihn says it's also the parents. "The parents are the backbone. Without kids, we wouldn't have teams but without parents bringing them, we wouldn't be able to play. They do a fantastic job, the parents are awesome. They put in time and effort, they fundraise, they get the girls to the games, they do it all. We've had a great, great group of parents in all the years I've been involved. If it wasn't for them, we wouldn't have what we got."
The U15 Wildcats start play this weekend.