Take me out to the ball game.
It’s that time of year again for the girls’ softball teams. While coaches and parents try to keep softball alive in Ponoka, this year has had a few challenges for both the squirts and the peewee teams.
However, combining with girls from the areas of Ponoka, Lacombe, and Hobbema as well as coaches from Ponoka and Lacombe, has helped to keep softball going here this year.
This program has also allowed the girls who range from first-year players to the more experienced and competitive players a chance to play, further their skills and keep it local. As the girls advance, it gets harder to keep them from going to play in cities such as Red Deer, Edmonton, or Calgary.
The peewee girls (U14) have 22 players combined, 14 from Lacombe and eight from Ponoka to make up one recreational and one competitive team for the season. They practice both in Ponoka and Lacombe, with two coaches from Ponoka and three from Lacombe to make it work.
Splitting the skill level down the middle, they took home silver and bronze medals in the Lacombe tournament May 25 to 27. The competitive team, which includes three girls from Ponoka, also played in Red Deer’s tournament June 1 to 3.
Halfway through the season now the competitive team will be gearing up to make a run at provincials June 29 to July 1 in Lloydminster.
Submitted