Organization Preview: St. Albert Angels
/ GPLS.ca |
Organization Preview: St. Albert Angels
One of Girls Prairie League Softball’s (GPLS) largest programs, the St. Albert Angels, have over 200 players ready for the upcoming softball season, and have found a way for their older players on the U18 team to give back to the program through mentorship.
The Angels U6 program, now entering its second season, was a smashing success last year, so much so that the St. Albert organization had to cap the registration this year at 25 players.
With plenty of games and fun activities, it was a way to ensure the newest players to the Angels organization were falling in love with softball from the very beginning, and will be helped along this year by members of the U18 team, whose practices are scheduled right after the U6 games in order to have the older players come and mentor the youngest group.
“We have connected the oldest group with the youngest group,” said Mike Kirk, president of the St. Albert Angels fastpitch organization. “The U6 is a real fun, introduction to ball. That’s how you keep the kids.
Along with the U8 program, which are co-ed, it’s the first introduction for many into the game, and helps develop the fundamentals under the Angels banner.
With a plate full of teams this year, which included 14 teams between the ages of 10- to 18-years-old, St. Albert has been a member of GPLS since the very beginning of the league and has found their own success.
With the U12A team winning provincials last year, Kirk is optimistic about the team who is moving to U14 this year to have another success season. The Angels also won medals in U10A, finishing with a silver at provinces, and a bronze in U12B, so there is plenty of optimism that 2017 will be another quality year.
“We've got teams a pretty much every level,” said Kirk. “The Angels have done quite well at GPLS. Even if they don’t win, they are succeeding at any event. So we’re hoping for and will achieve great things this year and will expose the girls to good competition and great friendship across the province.”
Kirk said there is a certain aura of playing in GPLS because of the quality of teams in the league, which fits right into St. Albert’s drive to give their players the highest level of competition they can.
But Kirk isn’t defining goals by the amount of runs across the plate, wins in the win column or how many championships the Angels brings home, but rather on the experience the players get each week and becoming better people overall.
“Success isn’t measured in wins, losses and championships,” said Kirk. “It’s measured in keeping the kids in the sport, keeping kids enjoying the sport. I’d rather have kids playing ball than hanging out at the 7/11. When we look at that, it helps them build skills, like good sportsmanship, being a good teammate, learning to play on a team.
“So it terms of success, those are success. If we can develop those skills and make them better citizens, great. And if a win or two, or a championship, comes around, all the better.”
Check out our other organization previews:
