Mia Kelly of the Medicine Hat Thunder drives a ball into the outfield during a practice at Southridge Community Park Wednesday. The Thunder will welcome the province for the Softball Alberta U19B championships this weekend at the Moose Community Ball Complex. - NEWS PHOTO RYAN MCCRACKEN
rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com@MHNMcCracken
Eight years of teamwork come down to this weekend for the Medicine Hat Thunder.
After having last year’s provincial championship wiped from the slate due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Thunder were given the ability to retain host status in 2021 and will (finally) welcome the province’s best to the Moose Community Ball Complex on Friday to open the Softball Alberta U19B championships.
“In all of our tournaments, we’ve had one tournament out of eight years – and it was out of Redcliff,” said coach Scott Kelly. “We’ve got five girls where it’s there last year of youth sports, the association has put in so much work to get this provincials, last year we were supposed to have it and obviously it was canceled – and this year getting to have it is really cool because we’ve never got to play any at home.”
While they’ve managed to play a few jam-packed league tournaments in Stoney Plain, Irma/Wainwright and Sherwood Park, third baseman Josie Clark says she’s looking forward to riding the energy of the crowd this weekend as the hometown team.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been here when we’ve hosted a tournament. It’s just super exciting that we’re going to be able to play here and everybody is going to be able to come watch,” said Clark, who also plays catcher. “It’s going to be fun.”
Clark added it’s been to develop alongside the same group of teammates for the past eight years, as they always manage to have fun while developing their abilities on the diamond together.
“It’s super fun. We look forward to seeing each other at that time,” she said. “It’s easy to grow because we all just work off each other. We do have a couple new people and we just welcome them in.”
Kelly added the weekend will be bittersweet for the team’s five graduating players, but knowing they’ll be able to close it out with a chance at provincial glory – on home turf – is a well-earned conclusion.
“They’ve literally already been a year out of high school. It’s really good that they stayed around because we wouldn’t have a team,” said Kelly. “This group has been together since Grade 5-Grade 6. I had a few girls come over from baseball and fortunately they did, because we’ve had the same group since then. I’ve never had to make many cuts, we’ve had two in eight years which is remarkable.”
The Thunder have already faced most of the teams competing at provincials this season, and Clark says the weekend should feature evenly-matched ball games right through Sunday.
“We’ve had a couple round-robin tournaments and we’ve seen probably all the teams. It’s all super close and competitive, nobody will probably blow the other teams out of the water.”
MHMSA will be hosting another provincial tournament with the U14B girls championship in town Aug. 13-15. Kelly says the community has really been rallying together to support the pair of tournaments after a trying year on and off the field.
“It’s been really awesome to have that community involvement and the sponsorships have been remarkable,” said Kelly. “Putting on these two provincial tournaments two weeks apart has been so much work. But we have a premier board and everyone has just been jumping on board and helping out. The parent group has been really good, the coaches have all been really good. It takes a ton of work.”
The Thunder take the field for their first game of the tournament on Friday with games at 9 a.m. against the Elnora Eagles and 3 p.m. against the Rivercity Hornets -Â and they’ll do it in front of a home crowd.
“That’s really the best part,” said Kelly. “For the last four months we’ve been hearing, “When do you guys play? We want to come watch.” And that’s everybody’s family. It’s really awesome.”
Round robin play continues Saturday, with the Thunder facing Calgary Westhills at 9 a.m. and the Edmonton Warriors at 1 p.m. Championship play is slated to open Sunday at 9 a.m., with the final set for 3 p.m. All games will be played at the Moose Community Ball Complex.
