sports // 18

Leading off

» Women’s softball captains selected

= . _
; Eric Wilkins
Sports Editor

i M sports
iy .,, @theotherpress.ca

Wwe some outside of
sports imagine captains
as little more than figureheads,
those within know that strong
leadership is integral to the
success of any team. The
women’s softball team this year,
with nine freshmen, knows
that better than anyone. With
the Royals 5-1 in a pre-season
tournament and off to a 4-0
start in the regular season, it
looks like they’ve found that
leadership in Hillary Strelau
and Jennifer McKellar.

Strelau is in her second
season with the Royals after
joining the squad fresh out of
high school, and one could say
she has a fair bit of familiarity
with the game. Born and raised
in Richmond, she took to

: softball at the age of five and
: hasn't looked back. Strelau
: serves as a utility player for
: the Royals, which helps to
: display the versatility she’s had
: throughout her whole life as
: she’s found success in several
: other sports—soccer, volleyball,
: and basketball. Along the way
: she’s dislocated both her knees
: (due to soccer and softball),
: but she’s never let injuries slow
: her down. In terms of career
: highlights, Strelau cites playing
: for Team BC and winning gold
: at last year’s Canadian Summer
: Games, an event which also
: featured a key figure in her life
: who convinced her to play at
: Douglas.
: “My inspiration would
: have to be my old coach Gord
: Collings. He coached me in
: my freshman year at Douglas
: and also on Team BC. He is my
: biggest supporter and a great
: human being.”
The other Royals captain

: has taken a roundabout trip to

: end up in New Westminster.

: Similarly to Strelau, McKellar

: isa BC product, though her

: upbringing was in Cloverdale.

: She also started playing at

: a young age (six), can play

: multiple positions (comfortable
: at second base and right field,

: along with being a designated

: hitter), and participated in

: multiple sports (soccer and

: volleyball) growing up. The

: fact that both are dynamite

: at softball aside, that’s where

: their similarities in their trips

: to Douglas end. McKellar’s

: post-secondary career started

: at Aiken Technical College in

: South Carolina after she landed
: ascholarship coming out of her
: grade 12 year. Her time south of :
: the border proved fruitful, as

: she picked up several accolades
: including female athlete of

: the year, the college’s highest

: academic honour, being named
: an academic All-American,

: and receiving second team

: all-region honours. After

: completing her diploma at

: Aiken Tech, McKellar returned
: home and took a semester off
: before enrolling in Douglas

: College’s Bachelor of Physical
: Education and Coaching

: program. Upon learning that

: one of her former rep coaches,
: Michelle Peters, was coaching
: the Royals, McKellar tried out
: for the squad and made it asa
: walk-on.

“Coach Michelle is a huge

While the team is mostly

: freshman, neither captain has
: any doubts about what the
: group is capable of.

“When you look at us on

: paper, you might not think
: we're the strongest team or

theotherpress.ca

: the most experienced because

: we are mostly freshman, but

: that doesn’t define us. All the

: girls are capable of playing

: highly skilled ball and have

: played their whole lives. We are
: going to bea team that is always
: going to battle in the field no

: matter what the score says

: because we've got heart,” said

: Strelau.

McKellar, recognized

: affectionately by her teammates
: as the “mom” due to her extra

: : years out of high school,

: inspiration for me and has been :
: since I was 16. It’s my dream

: to one day coach with her and
: learn that side of the game from :
: her as I have learned so muchas :
: a player”

commented that, “I know we

: are good enough to make it to
: the championships and I hope

we can live up to that potential.”
The paths the two have

: taken to get to this point may be
: different, but the one they’re on
: now is oneand the same, and

: the Royals couldn’t have hoped

: for it to work out any better.

 

Game for KidSport

» Rotary clubs host second annual ultimate tournament

“7 Eric Wilkins
Sports Editor
“i M sports
&. |, , @theotherpress.ca

re you a fan of ultimate?

Do you enjoy munching
on field food? Is the thought of
helping out a good cause not
completely abhorrent to you?
If your answers to the previous
questions are generally of a
positive nature, then the New
Westminster Rotaract Club has
the tournament for you. The
Rotaract (18-to-30-year-old
division) and Interact (12-to-18-
year-old division) clubs, under
Rotary International’s umbrella,
are putting on their second
annual ultimate tournament
on May 10 to raise funds for
KidSport New West.

“It was a rainy day, so we
didn't have a lot of spectators,
but we got a ton of [sporting]
equipment; they were taking it
out in truckloads at the end,”

said Rotaract secretary Corrigan :

Goodwin on the success of last
year’s affair.

With fingers crossed
for good weather to allow
for spectators to come out
this time around, Goodwin
fully expects the event to
outdo its predecessor: “We've
been more active in getting
teams registered and talking
to different groups... we’re
expecting to be raising more

: in donations while still getting
: that much equipment as well.”
: While the theme this

: year is “Engage youth, change

: lives,” fellow Rotaract member
: Christian Bernad stressed

: that the tournament is for

: more than just youth. “We're

: not just limited to high

: school students—we'e also

: encouraging university students
: or even just those looking to

: play recreationally.”

: On that note, the five-on-
: five tournament will feature

: three divisions—university,

: high school, and recreational—
: as opposed to last year’s two

: divisions of competitive and

: recreational.

: In addition to the ultimate
: being played, Goodwin

: commented that there would be :

: some additional entertainment

: for both the teams involved and

: those who come out to watch.
: “The Interact group we're

: working with this year is really
: great; they’ve got this halftime
: show they’re going to plan.”

: Bernad also hinted that

: there might be a dance-

: off involved. Possible skills

: competitions and a “fun booth”
: are also in the works and

: promise to add to the event.

There is also no shortage of

: sponsors, providing everything
: from prizes to advertising and

: food for the tournament. “We'd
: like to thank the Record, Tim

: Hortons, G&F Financial Group,

: Save-On-Foods, Westkey, and
: KidSport,” said Bernad.

“They've been great,” added

Goodwin.

Asa final note, Bernad said,

: “Get involved. Join the Rotaract
: or Interact club. It really

: feels good to be supporting

: charitable organizations

: and [giving] back to the

: community.”

For more information or to

: register, visit www.rotaract5040.
: org/newwest or www.
: newwestrotary.ca

WHAT:
Rotary Ultimate

Frisbee Tournament

WHY:
To support KidSport

New West

WHERE:
Mercer Stadium,
Sixth Street, New

Westminster

WHEN:
Saturday May 10,
from 8:30 a.m. to

4:30 p.m.

COST:

$125/team or $20/
individual — bring
used or new sporting
equipment to donate

as

r= — i i

 

Supplied by Rotary Club