It was Team Japan winning the gold medal at the 2023 Canada Cup Women乌鸦传媒檚 International Softball Championship in South Surrey on Sunday (July 16).
Following 425 games over the past 10 days, the Japan vs TC Colorado game closed one of the strongest tournaments in its history, with a sunny evening and plenty of spectators packing the Softball City stands.
The International Division featured some of the world乌鸦传媒檚 best, including Team Canada, Team Japan, Team Mexico, Team Australia A, Team TC Colorado, Team Israel, Team Greece, and Team Italy.
乌鸦传媒淲e are incredibly proud to have hosted a tournament which saw such a strong level of play 乌鸦传媒� from the Women乌鸦传媒檚 International Division to our Futures and Showcase Divisions, we saw extraordinary athleticism on the field of play and true sportsmanship between nations,乌鸦传媒� said tournament chair Greg Timm.
The tournament 乌鸦传媒� now in its 30th year 乌鸦传媒� showcased some of the top female athletes from across Canada and the world and includes five divisions: Women乌鸦传媒檚 International, Futures Select (U19), Futures Gold (U19), Showcase Select (16U) and Showcase Gold (16U), with games played at Softball City as well as Cloverdale Athletic Park, Sunnyside Park and Sullivan Park.
Timm noted attendance was at an all-time high this year.
乌鸦传媒淲e have experienced support this year like never before. Our gate attendance has surpassed all previous records, and the community support for Team Ukraine, our Pride Day celebrations and for all the teams has been incredible!乌鸦传媒�
Although Team Canada乌鸦传媒檚 gold-medal aspirations were cut short in a playoff loss to Italy earlier on Sunday, several of their stars were recognized for their stellar performance throughout the tournament, including Delta乌鸦传媒檚 Kelsey Harshman, who was named Canada Cup乌鸦传媒檚 outstanding second baseman.
Team Canada head coach Kayleigh Rafter, who officially transitioned from player to coach in 2021, has been playing in Canada Cup tournaments since 2007, playing in 14 events and coaching in two, for a total of 16 tournaments.
乌鸦传媒淚 think, towards the end of my playing career, I probably I considered myself half-player, half-coach乌鸦传媒� a lot of (players) referred to me a coach Rafter when I was still playing,乌鸦传媒� she told Peace Arch News last week.
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 still pretty early in our season 乌鸦传媒� our big thing is using this as preparation乌鸦传媒� we have a world championship qualifier coming up in Italy on the 19th.乌鸦传媒�
Team Canada is a young team, she noted, and she focused on trying to give every player as many opportunities to play as possible, as the Canada Cup allows a larger roster than other tournaments.
Rafter noted the support from fans is awesome to experience.
乌鸦传媒淭o see all the little girls waiting to get autographs乌鸦传媒� we did a youth clinic the other day, and one of the girls 乌鸦传媒� she got her bat signed by the whole team 乌鸦传媒� she came down started swinging it she goes, 乌鸦传媒極h, I can already feel it乌鸦传媒檚 better right now,乌鸦传媒� she was so excited,乌鸦传媒� Rafter said.
乌鸦传媒淚 think that fan interaction 乌鸦传媒� just seeing how much the littles look up to our team, and also for our team to have that experience as well,乌鸦传媒� is amazing.乌鸦传媒�
Timm, a former White Rock Renegades coach, remembers that in 1992, when it was just announced that softball would be in the 1996 Olympics, and the then-president of the Renegades and founder of the Canada Cup and Softball City, Glen Todd, wanted to help their country to be able to compete.
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乌鸦传媒淭eam Canada had no money, so they were expected to compete at the world level against countries that had pretty big budgets,乌鸦传媒� Timm said.
乌鸦传媒淭he way the Olympic association worked in Canada back then, is if you didn乌鸦传媒檛 have Olympic status, you didn乌鸦传媒檛 get much money. (Todd) was sort of the chief and I was second in charge, and and it was our mission 乌鸦传媒� we said, 乌鸦传媒極K, if we can乌鸦传媒檛 travel our Canadian team around the world, let乌鸦传媒檚 bring the world to Canada.乌鸦传媒櫸谘淮綕
The first tournament, held in 1993, featured eight teams, with the U.S. club team the Redding Rebels from California defeating Australia to win the first Cup.
乌鸦传媒淭he park was a lot different than it is now乌鸦传媒� it didn乌鸦传媒檛 have those big concrete bleachers, just little schoolyard bleachers,乌鸦传媒� Timm recalled.
Now, the event brings 1,600 athletes together over 10 days, as well as volunteers young and old.
乌鸦传媒淲e have 104 bat girls, we have 285 into our kids camps, we have young officials乌鸦传媒� I think we counted 2,600 kids under 18 years old hanging around that park乌鸦传媒� they乌鸦传媒檙e going to find a hero they乌鸦传媒檙e going to find friends乌鸦传媒� they乌鸦传媒檙e going to learn to love sport,乌鸦传媒� Timm said, noting that none of it could happen without the 550 volunteers who help before, during and after the 10-day event.
乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檝e got lots of young volunteers who help us 乌鸦传媒� there乌鸦传媒檚 two young guys over at Cloverdale Athletic Park with the rakes and the shovels 乌鸦传媒� they own those fields right now, that乌鸦传媒檚 their job and they乌鸦传媒檙e going to make those things perfect,乌鸦传媒� Timm said last week.
The engagement of young children and sport is why he got involved, and why he stays involved, every year, he noted.
乌鸦传媒淭hat乌鸦传媒檚 my favourite part and I think that乌鸦传媒檚 why I got so involved with it. When I was a kid, I loved the tournament atmosphere. I could sit and watch games all day, it was safe, I could follow teams and see how they乌鸦传媒檙e doing and follow players and get into the momentum of it乌鸦传媒� I think that乌鸦传媒檚 why I乌鸦传媒檝e stay so engaged for so long 乌鸦传媒� just trying to let another kid have that experience.乌鸦传媒�
Timm thanked everyone who helped, including 乌鸦传媒渙riginal volunteers乌鸦传媒� Gordie and Laverne Hogg, who have volunteered since the first Canada Cup in 1993.
乌鸦传媒淲e are so grateful to our community for the massive volunteer effort 乌鸦传媒� 25,000 hours of volunteer time will be invested here,乌鸦传媒� Timm said.
乌鸦传媒淭hese are people that are not necessarily sports people, they乌鸦传媒檙e just awesome community people乌鸦传媒� they just love the buzz of the community and they love seeing the kids have fun.乌鸦传媒�
tricia.weel@peacearchnews.com
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