By Adam Jackson
For Amy Lank, softball has always been a passion. Now she will be able to play out her passion and represent her home province in the process.
The 16-year-old will compete in the upcoming Western Canada Summer Games.
“We had tryouts about a year ago and they went until this summer,” said Lank.
“It was amazing to find out, it was like the best thing ever — you know that there are so many good players around Alberta so when they choose you it’s an honour.”
Lank suspects that her positive and never-say-die attitude helped her to get on the team.
“A lot of people say that I have a fire in my eyes,” joked Lank.
Lank currently plays with a softball league in Red Deer and has one teammate from that team on Team Alberta and has built a chemistry with the rest of the team through a tournament earlier in the summer. Although the tournament was essentially a washout with the amount of rain that dumped down, they were still able to bond and work together.
“We got to know each other pretty well through that tournament so I don’t think building the chemistry will be an issue,” said Lank.
Lank is taking a lot of pride into the tournament, but has managed to remain humble about her selection for the team.
“It’s just kind of cool to make the team, there are a lot of talented girls around Alberta, so it’s definitely an honour,” said Lank.
The Western Canada Summer Games are hosted in Kamloops, BC this year. Lank and her teammates will take on teams from Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and British Columbia for softball, but teams from Yukon, NWT, and Nunavut will take part in other sports in the annual tournament.
Other competitors attending the Western Canada Summer Games are Isatu Fofanah in track and field, Cathy McMillan (manager) for golf, and Logan Steeves and Chat Schenk from Bluffton and Buck Lake in soccer.