2 Sask. youth softball teams ready to head to North American Indigenous Games

Two youth softball teams representing Saskatchewan faced off on Saturday, just one week shy of them playing in the 2023 North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) in Halifax, N.S.

Team Saskatchewan U16 and Team Saskatchewan U19, played a quick five inning game of softball. Team Sask. U19 won 10-7.

“We’re a good hitting team, a good fielding team. It’s a great group of guys and the fact we get to go across the country together… it’s pretty special,” said Coen Bear, a member of the Team Sask. Under 19 team.

Coaches from both teams are trying to create bonds between the players, and just letting them play.

“They really worked hard at it. We had training camps all winter, and now it’s come time,” said Allen Delorme, coach of the Team Sask. U19 team.

The majority of the players on both teams have not travelled the distance they will be going. The players also have not been in a tournament this big before.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, none of the players on either team participated in the NAIG before.

The coaching staff are well aware of this possible hurdle, but see it as an advantage, as other entire teams have also never participated in the NAIG.

“Thousands of athletes and nobody’s experienced it before,” said Brock Perry, head coach of the Team Sask. U16 team. “It’s up to us coaches to help mentor them along the way and what to expect going forward.”

The North American Indigenous Games will begin Saturday July 15 and will go until July 23.