OTTAWA- A group of female baseball players will get a chance to escape the winter blues next week when they travel to Cuba for the annual Girls Development Baseball Camp February 16-23.
The camp, in its 5th year of operation, will see a high of 39 players attend that will be split into three teams to participate in practices and exhibitions games upon arriving on the baseball-mad island.
“This is a great camp for these athletes not only from a baseball perspective, but from a cultural perspective as well,” said Women’s National Team Manager André Lachance. “Players will benefit from playing against international competition in an environment that is foreign to them, while also receiving a great cultural experience off the baseball field.”
With the increase in participants, three teams will now be formed instead of the traditional two that occurred in previous years. The increase in interest to attend the development camp is positive for the future of girl’s baseball in Canada.
“It was great to see the amount of interest when we started registering players to attend back in the fall,” explained Lachance. “Word has spread that this trip is a great development opportunity for players and we’re happy to be able to accommodate more numbers this year.”
The itinerary for participants will be busy as daily baseball activities will be coupled with cultural and educational activities that allows players to get a greater appreciation for the Cuban lifestyle.
“The Cuban way of life is very strange for a young Canadian to comprehend, but knowing what little they have and what they go through in daily life, makes me appreciate their people so much more,” said Jenna Hillman who will be attending the girls development camp for the third consecutive year. “I am young and have not travelled that much but they seem to be the happiest people with having so little.”
On the baseball field a lot can be learned from the Cuban players and coaches. Legendary Cuban baseball players often attend the games and impart their knowledge of the baseball to their Canadian guests.
“Playing Cuba in their National Game is a great thrill. I have learned so many new techniques and drills that the Latino players use,” said Hillman. “I have tried to pick up as many (techniques) as possible and bring them back to share with my teammates in Canada.”
Heather Healey, who will be heading to Cuba for the second year in a row, says that she will be a lot more comfortable this time around knowing what to expect based on her previous experience.
“Last year was my first year attending camp and I was very nervous and didn't know what to expect from everyone else,” she said. (I found) it’s very important to stay calm on the field and up to bat and treat it like you're playing a game with your regular team.”
First and foremost, the trip serves as a development camp aimed at improving individual skills, while also providing many players with their first taste of international baseball.
The trip also provides Lachance and his staff the opportunity to evaluate talent for the Women’s National Team. Fourteen players who represented Canada at last summers’ International Series in Granby, Québec were graduates of the Girls Development Camp.
“I’m looking at this trip as a chance to see young talent that we have across this country and use this as a development camp for future editions of the Women’s National Team,” he said. “The experience that these young players will receive in Cuba will benefit them greatly as they prepare for the 2014 season.”
Jenna Hillman is a player who intends on making an impression on her coaches in Cuba with the hope of earning a spot on the National Team down the road.
“I am hoping to use this trip as a springboard for me personally as every girl going has the dream of making the National Team,” she explained. “I am using this opportunity and every opportunity to show the coaches what I can do.”
Please follow Baseball Canada on Twitter (www.twitter.com/baseballcanada) for daily updates from the Girls Development Camp in Cuba.
Schedule
February 16 - Arrival
February 17 – 9:30am - Practice (Group 1), 1pm – Practice (Group 2)
February 18 - 9am Canada Red vs Cuba Red; 12pm Canada White vs Cuba Blue; 2pm Canada Black vs Cuba Red
February 19 - 9am Canada Black vs Cuba Blue; 12pm Canada Red vs Cuba Red; 2pm Canada White vs Cuba Blue
February 20 - 9am Canada White vs Cuba Red; 12pm Canada Black vs Cuba Blue; 2pm Canada Red vs Cuba Red
February 21 - 9am Canada Red vs Cuba Blue; 12pm Canada White vs Cuba Red; 2pm Canada Black vs Cuba Blue
February 22 - 9am Canada Black vs Cuba Red; 12pm Canada Red vs Cuba Blue; 2pm Canada White vs Cuba Red
February 23 - 9am Canada Red/Black vs Cuba Red; 12pm Canada White/Black vs Cuba Blue
Departure
