Another sport has made its way into Fort High.
The high school has officially launched its first-ever slo-pitch team with a roster of 19 students.
"We put out to the kids, and we had an overwhelming response," said Curtis Starko, the principal at Fort High. "The kids are really excited!"
The team played their first game of the season last Wednesday (May 3) against Vimy Ridge, taking home a thrilling 21-20 victory.
The excitement about the first win wasn't just limited to the players.
"I think the coaches were more excited," laughed Starko. "I think [the coaches] were a little surprised how good the kids are because we have a lot of good athletes here at Fort High."
One of the things that separate slo-pitch from some of the more traditional high school sports, like basketball, volleyball, and football, is the fact that is a co-ed sport with both boys and girls playing on the team.
"We have six or seven girls and 11 or 12 guys and it's the first time they are able to do that because everything is separated by gender," said Starko. "It's a different experience athletically because the girls and the guys are together."
This is also the first year that Metro Athletics has run a high school slo-pitch league. Due to this, this season is being treated like a test run with just four games on the schedule for each team before playoffs begin.
One thing is for sure, however, as public support for the team's first game was higher than expected.
"The stands were full, we had every parent there," said Starko. "Outside of football, that's probably the best-attended game I've seen all year in athletics."
The team will be back in action at the Dow Fields this Wednesday (May 10) for a game against Ardrossan. The start time for that one is set for 4:15 p.m. with free admission.
Overall, Starko is very pleased with what he has seen so far.
"They are having so much fun...just watching the camaraderie between the kids is really fun."