After an incredible weekend, the U15 Eastman Wildcats finished 4th at nationals this past weekend in Winkler and Morden.
"Oh man, it was a great last five days," coach Russ Kihn says proudly. "The girls played great. I'm really proud of them to get to where they got. Being fourth in the country is absolutely fantastic, it's something you don't get to experience very often, and I'm totally proud of the girls played. I'm so happy for them."
Tough athletically and mentally
This group was something unique, as Kihn tells it, it's not just their athletic abilities, but their mental toughness that stands out. "They always want to get better. Sure, there are hard patches, we had 63 games this year, you're gonna have hard patches where they're struggling with the bats, or pitching, but they're always working to improve. They want to get better, they want to right the ship, and they do it through hard work. I'm so impressed with how high their level of compete is. They don't give up. There's never a point where they don't believe they can do it, it's just so fantastic."
Special group of people
Kihn says the U15 Wildcats were not just a ball team, they were a family, and those bonds helped build success. "It was so good, these girls have been together with this exact group, I mean, the teams get made in the fall, so the girls spent the whole year together. Once or twice a week, we get together, and these girls are all friends away from the diamond, it's been so good. This week, we added a few other girls for the national championship, and they were welcomed with open arms. Our girls worked to make them feel like home, it's great."
Having that nationals in Manitoba meant that many Wildcats supporters could make the trip, and cheer on the team, something Kihn says the team cherished. "That support is awesome. It's always fun to go away for a championship like this, but when you get to play close to home, you know you're going to have people coming out, friends, grandparents, they get to come see you play at the highest level we have here in Canada. We had lots of family out all week, and it was so awesome that everyone came to support. They were behind the team and the players, it was great."
Proud President
As President of the Wildcats, Kihn says overall, it was an incredible year for the programs across the board. "Organization wide, it was an absolutely fantastic year. The U13 finished second in the province, and then went to the Western Canadians, and won second there. Great showing, they were so fantastic, those young girls grew leaps and bounds from the start of the year. My 15 team did well, and our U17 team ended up going to the national championship, they won the province, went to the national championship, and finished in the seventh spot. We're representing Manitoba throughout, across the country as a solid softball province. For the girls in our area, it's something they can hang their hat on, they can be proud of what they've been able to do, and represent the southeast. It's special, for sure."
Dreams can come true
Going forward, more Wildcats players will look to move on, playing high level athletics while getting elite level education, all of which Kihn says is happening even right now. "In the past, we've had a few girls go on to play college, and this year, we're actually getting more. We have four girls from our U19 team, that are playing out west right now, they're going to school, they actually leave next week already. Girls from our U17 program, they're moving up, and they're already talking to schools about places to go. They're getting more opportunities because we have been really successful, and that the girls have been working very hard, putting everything into it. The young girls see these girls going on, they follow and they see what they need to do if that's what they want to do later on."
A message from the coach
After a terrific season, Kihn says he'll hold this team in high regard for a long, long time, not because of the success they had on the field, but because of how special this group of girls is as people. "I just want to say, I had a great year. These girls are awesome. It was fantastic, I can't say enough how happy I have been with the work ethic, and the results. It was fantastic. A great bunch of girls, it was an honour."
Kihn and many others won't have a lot of time to rest, as Wildcats tryouts for next year are in a couple of weeks.