The U17 Wildcats are primed and ready to head into another season and Pat Tetrault says the group is talented, excited and they all can't wait to get going.
"We've been at it since tryouts back in September of last year," explains Tetrault. "The girls have been working hard, tirelessly throughout the winter, they've been hitting balls inside, fielding balls in the gym but now it's time we get out there and do what they love to do. We're all very excited to get going."
Tetrault says this group is special and he's really looking forward to what they can accomplish as a team. "Looking back, four or six years ago, they're just young girls learning the game and now they're young adults that have been playing for years. We've moved on from how to throw a ball to what do you do with it once you get it. The strategy toward that next level that you'd see at a U17 AAA level, it's pretty amazing what they can do and their knowledge of the game."
Throughout the Wildcats programs, the talent level continues to rise and Tetrault couldn't be prouder. "Considering where we were 10 years ago, it comes down to reps. Getting that opportunities for local girls. These girls come in for tryouts for September, then they work the bulk of the winter on their fundamentals and their skills, getting their reps in. They work so hard to understand the game. It also comes to our coaching staff, every age group. I'd like to shoutout my coaches as well, they're such amazing people who put in a lot of work, always thinking about new drills on what the girls needs are, where we can build and get things from point A to point B. We've been working for a while and we've seen a pretty good program develop here throughout the southeast."
Watching the players develop as people and friends is also something Tetrault believes makes this group quite special. "It's pretty amazing, we've had the same core group of girls for six years now. We've added some throughout the run, but with today's generation with social media, back when I was younger, if you were in La Broquerie and had a buddy in Steinbach, you may only see them for a couple of hours a week. These days, they may see each other three or four times a week but their in constant contact with each other. It makes for a lot closer of a group, the communicate and at the end of the day, these girls are spending a couple hours a day four days a week together and they create life long friendships that will last long beyond there years here."
Being the older Wildcats now, Tetrault says the girls understand they're looked up to as role models for that next wave of talent developing at the younger programs. "We get to see it and the girls really embrace it. My daughter just took her pitching course to become an instructor to show young girls how to pitch. She wants to give back, even in our small town of La Broquerie, she wants to put in the hours to show young girls that if they put in the hours, they can be a great player. Just because you're from a small town or an unknown place, it doesn't mean you can't become the player you want to be. To see the older girls come into the gym and teach the younger players a thing or two about ball, it makes it exciting to work with them."
The support from the community has always stood out to Tetrault and he can't thank those around the team that have been so supportive enough. "Any time you're building a strong program and you're successful on the diamond, you'll get people that want to be around. People love to watch good quality ball. We've seen our numbers climb throughout the season and people when they show up to watch games, they really can't believe the talent level. Life long hardball people come watch softball and the next thing you know, they're there to support the programs. We can't thank the business community enough to help these young ladies achieve their dreams. They've allowed them to compete and travel all around to play the sport they love."