Toria Kover was eight years old when she got her first taste of softball.
And it all happened by chance. Her older sister乌鸦传媒檚 t-ball team needed an extra player, so Toria gladly volunteered herself.
乌鸦传媒淚 hopped in and I fell in love with it. My sister did not 乌鸦传媒� she quit after that year,乌鸦传媒� said Kover, a recent graduate from Rutland Senior Secondary School.
Fast-forward to 10 years later. Just last month, Kover accepted an offer to attend Canisius College in Buffalo, N.Y., later this year, where she乌鸦传媒檒l be playing for the school乌鸦传媒檚 NCAA Division I women乌鸦传媒檚 softball team.
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 a surreal experience, really. Just being able to know that I can do this, I乌鸦传媒檓 able to go out and do what I wanted to do when I was eight years old. It乌鸦传媒檚 crazy,乌鸦传媒� said Kover, who will be working towards achieving a bachelor of science degree in sports and exercise health care.
Earning the opportunity to play for an NCAA Division I school didn乌鸦传媒檛 happen overnight. It took a whole decade for Kover to land this achievement.
From the age of nine up until she was 14, Kover乌鸦传媒檚 father coached her while she was a member of the Kelowna Blue Jays. At 14, she moved up from the C to B program to play for the Kelowna Heat.
From 15 to 17, she played U16B and later U19B 乌鸦传媒� still a member of the Kelowna Heat 乌鸦传媒� where she was coached by Michelle Webster and Jocelyn Cater, with the latter being the youngest player to ever play for Canada乌鸦传媒檚 national softball team.
Following her stint with the Heat, she played for the TriCity Titans before joining the Ridge Meadows Pride softball team.
She said that it was pitching 乌鸦传媒� her greatest asset 乌鸦传媒� that kept her going after all these years. Standing at 5 ft. 3, she said she isn乌鸦传媒檛 the fastest pitcher, and instead described herself as a spin pitcher.
乌鸦传媒淚 was able to keep learning. It乌鸦传媒檚 not just stationary 乌鸦传媒� you have to keep learning new pitches, new spins, all that kind of stuff,乌鸦传媒� she said.
In her arsenal of pitches are the fastball, the changeup, the curveball, the screwball and the rise up.
But pitching isn乌鸦传媒檛 her favourite part of the game. Rather, she said it乌鸦传媒檚 the camaraderie that comes with it.
乌鸦传媒淏eing a part of a team and being able to know that no matter where I am, I乌鸦传媒檒l always have people that I can go back to that will help me and want to see me succeed,乌鸦传媒� she said.
And while she hopes to be involved with softball for the rest of her life, either as a player or a coach, her end goal is to become a travelling physiotherapist for a sports team.
But did she think she would ever get to this point? 乌鸦传媒淣ever in a million years,乌鸦传媒� she said.
乌鸦传媒淩eally, I just owe everything I乌鸦传媒檝e accomplished to my parents, my family and my awesome coaches, coach Web and Jocelyn,乌鸦传媒� she said.
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aaron.hemens@kelownacapnews.com
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