The Yellowknife Wolverines softball team took home silver medals at the recent U19 Female Fastball Provincials in Castor, Alta. — with help from two talented players from Hay River.
The tournament took place July 12-14. The Yellowknife team was competing in the C division, having won gold in the D division last year.
"We placed first in our pool. We then won our quarter-final game to take us to the finals," said 13-year-old Kaiah Carter, one of two Hay River players on the Yellowknife-based team. "We played hard but, unfortunately, lost the final to place second overall."
The odds were stacked against the Wolverines in their 11-team tournament from the get-go. Because Carter, who plays field, and short stop Keira Coakwell are both from Hay River, they were unable to practice with the rest of the team ahead of the tournament. The team must also contend with a shorter season for practice than their Alberta counterparts, and don't have as many teams to practice against as their rivals since the girls' softball scene in the NWT is relatively new.
"The team played extremely well against Alberta teams that play in leagues and practice together regularly," said Carter.
While Carter was unable to practice with her Yellowknife teammates before the tournament in Alberta, she benefited from the tutelage of a local men's team in Hay River.
"This year the HR Pirates men’s fastball team helped coach, which helped me develop skills and confidence in my play," she said. "I still have so much more to develop as a young ball player but getting the opportunities to play on an all-female ball team is what keeps me motivated to build my skills and mature as a fastball player."
Carter started playing T-ball when she was five, and has been playing softball for much of the time since.
She is the youngest player on the Wolverines. This year was her first playing with the Yellowknife team, and she enjoyed the experience of visiting Alberta for the tournament.
The highlights, she said, were "meeting new people" and "getting to experience a ball tournament that I have not had the chance to do before, and learning from my teammates and coaches."
She hopes to join the Wolverines at the provincials again next year, and is confident the team will perform even better, if they get the opportunity.
"I think the players and coaches have the hard work ethic and determination to learn and continue to grow with a goal to return next year and win," she said.