Another season of ball is on the horizons and for the coach of the U15 Killarney Lakers, the excitement is there and he's ready to have the team hit the diamond.
"I think it's always exciting to get out there on the field," Tyler Shiels says with a smile. "It's been a long winter and the girls seem to be excited as well. We're going to have a pretty decent team this year and it's always fun to watch the talent rise on the field."
This year is a special one as Shiels says there was a lot of interest in playing ball and that's led to an opportunity to make two teams. "Killarney is a bit of an anomaly," explains the long time coach. "Every second year with this group, we have a large group and this year, we have 17 girls from Killarney and five from Wawanesa, so we're making two teams of 11. We have some girls that are new to the game or newer to the game and some that have been playing since they were six or seven years old. We have a mix of both and we're excited to get it all going."
The U15 age is a unique one to coach, especially with a mix of players at different development levels, but Shiels cannot wait to get started. "I think as we get older, I mean I've coached some of these girls right from the start while others are new. I'm lucky to be joined this year with a coach from Wawanesa who's been around his girls for a while. We have a good mix, we know all the girls now and we're only into our first week of practices. Getting to know them, see where they are at in their abilities on the field but also getting to know them as 14 and 15 year old people is important."
Success on the field is always great but Shiels is perhaps proudest of the friendships that develop through the game. "I think it's why we coach and it's why parents put their kids in sport. Yes, there is always the win and loss record that creeps in, but the circle of friends these kids make in almost every sport, playing with kids from other towns and regions, it's really why do all this for. Sports makes kids good people, teaches them good life lessons that they can carry on to their future job, college or life. It's pretty amazing to see it develop on the diamond and carry on through life."
It's not just coaching the on the field skills, but for Shiels, it's also coaching the mental side of the game. "At this level, the girls could be going through a lot in their lives and our job is to keep them focused and remind them it's okay to be average or make mistakes. We look for that, we encourage them and try and get them to be at their best. When the things don't work out, we're the ones there that can pick them up and tell them to try again. Failure is a part of success and I think with our group this year, that's what we're going to preach. I think that's changed over the years, we're more aware of the mental side of the game than we were 20 years ago. I mean, it's a big change for myself going through all those years and now having the mental side of things being a very important part of any game now-a-days."
As the sport continues to grow in Killarney and the Westman area, female athletes have a chance to get an elite level education while playing the sport they love, and that's something that Shiels is really happy about. "I think it's really good now that there is just so many opportunities for young athletes to excel in any sport. As far as it goes in softball, we have a very active AA program, that some of our girls will strive to be at, then we also have the AAA level. It can make players so much better, the more you play the better you get. Some girls love that. Some really want to push themselves and it's great. We have so many programs and community programs that really help our athletes build themselves and reach their goals."