The Abbotsford Outlaws U17A softball team has three-peat dreams this summer.
The back-to-back provincial championship winning group of athletes won in both 2022 and 2023, but this year they have jumped from B to A ball.
The leap in competition will be a challenge, but head coach Noel Sharman believes his team is up to the task.
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The Outlaws winning pedigree is something they will bring to the higher level and Sharman said that chemistry will be key to taking home another title.
“We’ve developed a true team,” he said. “Keeping the kids that we have year after year, working with them and encouraging them to stay with us has paid off for us. We want things to be fun, but always want them to be competitive.”
A total of 13 players are returning and were part of both the 2022 and 2023 championship teams. Four new players, including one from Kelwona have been added for the move to the A tier.
Sharma explained that many of the girls on the team have played together since the age of nine, adding to that familiarity and team cohesion.
As the girls age, the demand for softball has increased. He noted that training began back in September and the team participated in several indoor tournaments during the winter in the United States. In February the team travelled to Arizona to compete against other teams from all across the continent and took home the top prize there.
The Outlaws will square off with teams in White Rock, the Fraser Valley, the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island in the A tier. They play two games a week and will complete a 25-game schedule later this summer. In between all of that the Outlaws will participate in a number of tournaments. Provincials usually occur in late-July.
Sharma stated that several of the girls on the team are already in discussions with universities and he expects a handful will continue playing the game at that level. The News has done several stories on Outlaws player Kailyn Haig, who has represented Great Britain at several international softball events.
He said the coaching staff he works with has also helped the excel.
“A lot of commitment and team culture is probably the number one thing,” he said, when asked about the reason for the team’s success. “There’s a trust that has been formed.”
Sharma added that not only do they believe that the team has good athletes, but the lessons they’ve learned on the diamond will help them become better people.
The roster consists of: Tia Dunn, Alexa Robertson, Lucy Dueck, Kailyn Haig, Paige Roberts, Danielle Neggers, Gurveen Badesha, Allyson McAvoy, Naomi Klassen, Emily Sprott, Liberty Sharman, Bailey Purper and Ella McDonald.