More than half the players on the 19-and-under Team Manitoba softball roster hail from the northern part of the province, with seven Cross Lake players making the team along with one from Norway House and a pair from Flin Flon.
Cross Lakers representing the province include Charleston McKay, Ovide Monias Jr., Kenley Monias, Marlon Beardy, Miner Castel, Jordan Richard and Clark Ross. Norway House's Roy Ettawacappo also made the 17-player roster, along with Jason Fehr and Travis Fehr of Flin Flon.
"This year, the team truly is a reflection of the great athletes of our province and surrounding communities," said Howard Kitchen, coach of the team along with Claude Marcoux, in a press release announcing the roster. "Team Manitoba players represent nine communities from as far east as Thunder Bay, Ont., Benito from the west, Cross Lake in the north and Winkler in the south. In addition, nine of the players come from three reserves - Cross Lake, Norway House and Fisher River - where ball is played at a high level."
Team Manitoba captured the gold medal at the 2008 Western Canadian Fastpitch Championships, and this year's team will represent the province at the 19-and-under international championship July 7-12 in Charlottetown, P.E.I., a tournament that replaces the Canada Games, which removed men's softball for 2009.
Team Manitoba will be competing against provincial teams from across Canada, as well as the representatives of the Northwest Territories, in addition to teams from the U.S., Mexico and New Zealand. Other than the junior wrold championships held every four years, this Softball Canada-created tournament will feature the best under-19 competition in the world, said the release.
The team then competes in the midget nationals in Prince Albert, Sask. Aug. 2-9.
"This will be the first time Manitoba will send a team to the midget nationals in many years and it should be a good test for Team Manitoba," said Kitchen. "The players have bonded extremely well and although they don't get a chance to practise as a team that often, they play as though they have played ball together for many years. These players are proud representatives of their communities, as well as Manitoba, and are gearing up to bring home gold for the first time ever for Manitoba in the men's midget nationals fastball championship."
