Even though we are only in April, Softball Canada is already well in the process of preparing for the 2012 Women’s National Team season, which will include the U.S. World Cup of Softball VII in Oklahoma City, followed by the Scotiabank Canadian Open Fastpitch International Championship, and to cap it all off, the ISF XIII Women’s World Softball Championship in Whitehorse. In 2011, Team Canada represented our country extremely well, winning a silver medal at the Pan American Games in Mexico in October. Since that time, the coaching staff has been following the progress of our 2012 Women’s National Team hopefuls, some of which are now competing full-time with their NCAA teams, while others are keeping themselves in shape with their specialized training program. In the following weeks, the coaching staff will be naming the list of players who will be invited to our final selection camp, which will be held in Oklahoma City prior to the U.S. World Cup of Softball.
If you ask any Team Canada player what it means to play at an international tournament on home soil, they will all tell you that there is no feeling like it. The home crowd truly gives them a big jolt of energy and pride, and they will stop at nothing to give the fans a reason to cheer and to make their friends and family proud. Many of our players grew up watching or following the National Team at Softball City, went on to play with their respective club teams, and now find themselves wearing the Maple Leaf on their chest in front of large enthusiastic crowds. There is no greater feeling of accomplishment than reaching your dream of representing your country, and our players get that very same feeling every time they put on their jersey!
The Scotiabank Canadian Open Fastpitch International Championship will serve as the Canadian team’s final tune-up prior to the World Championship in Whitehorse, and competing against highly competitive teams will help us prepare for another successful run at the highest level of women’s softball. At the 2010 World Championship in Venezuela, Team Canada won its first ever national team medal, and with this year’s tournament being on home soil in Whitehorse, they will be looking forward to competing in front of Canadian fans who will be cheering them every step of the way. The goal is to perform to the best of our abilities and to compete for a medal, and there is no better way to achieve that goal than building up to the event by playing against great competition in front of our amazing fans!
Gilles LeBlanc
Manager - Marketing & Communications, Softball Canada
