A great season for the U15 AAA Central Energy has coach Kevin Convery hoping to cap it off with a special run through provincials.
"It's been a super enjoyable season," Convery says with a smile. "The girls have done really well on the diamond. The record has been very successful, I think we're 23-4 overall in league play and tournaments. But what a great off the pitch, we've developed friendships you can see. These kids have come from different backgrounds, some have played AAA or AA, and they've just molded into a cohesive group. When the team's together, they're just having fun, they're relaxed and it's really nice to see the kids enjoying themselves and having success at the same time."
Coaching at the U15 level has been a very enjoyable experience for Convery, who says seeing the team take big steps in their skill sets has made it even more special. "It's been a relatively straight forward group, because they've had great coaching in their minor ball programs and previously in our organization in U13. There's minor tweaks, but overall, it's been a super enjoyable year where we haven't had to make many adjustments to players swings, how they approach the games or skill sets, because they came in with so many tools to start with."
Mixing in the new players with the established players, Convery says the group gelled right away, which says a lot about the girls as people. "It's been an interesting part, because when they're younger, they are going head to head, they go up against each other, wanting to beat each other. You always know about that star player on the other team, but now they're together. It doesn't take long for the rivalries to be set aside, and they really enjoy playing with each other. I've found it to be a very smooth transition going from competitors to teammates, and they do an amazing job of getting along and working well together."
With provincials in Winnipeg, Convery says that if they play their game, they'll be successful, but no matter what, he's already very proud of the group. "At this point of the season, I think they've exceeded my expectations on the field. I wasn't sure where we'd fit when the season started, I knew we'd be competitive, but to sit in the top two or three positions in the league standings, it's very nice for our girls. At provincials, I feel confident that the girls are ready. We've kind of discussed that being the host for Nationals, it's nice we get an automatic bye to the big tournament being held in Winkler in August, but we've said all along that we want to earn our spot. So, the goal is to finish in the top two, so we earn our spot and don't go just because we're hosting. I think the way we're playing, how confident the girls are, and how prepared they've been all season, finishing top two is realistic. Competition will be stiff, lots of good teams out there and we know any team can win on any given day, so we'll have to be at our best."
Convery believes a big part of the teams success comes from the community around the team, and those that have made things extra special. "We know that the time commitment and travel commitment can be a lot. We have a player from Mariapolus, Manitoba, we have players from La Salle, and we meet in Carman twice a week for a two and a half hour practice. Those players and parents are putting on a lot of kilometers. We appreciate that and it shows their dedication to the sport. The community has been so supportive of our team, both in sponsoring us during the season and then now with nationals, the girls have gone out door to door looking for support, and it's been overwhelming. The community supports these athletes, and we really thank them for that."
When it comes to keeping the team mentally balanced, Convery chuckles a bit, knowing full well this team is mature and ready to handle anything that comes there way because of their leader. "That's easy, our head coach Kylyn Shindle is a fantastic leader. She is on top of things with the players, encouraging them, giving them feedback, and if things are not going well, she lets them know that this is a sport that's designed for you to fail more than succeed, teaching that you have to shake off things that don't go your way. Focus on the next task. She's been an amazing leader by example for these players, she's coached them for several years, and her positive leadership has led these athletes. They know this is a mental sport, you have to be strong, bounce back from adversity and because of her, you can see it in every game we play."
Provincials will be in Winnipeg and Nationals are set to take over Winkler in August.